Meghan Markle has raised eyebrow by opening an online shop where she can earn commission from shoppers – and one PR expert believes the move is not just about money, there is also another reason for it
Meghan Markle has launched her latest business venture – an online collection of clothes where she can earn commission from sales. Her collection of high-end clothing and accessories she’s either worn or recommends has appeared on her new ShopMy account.
It allows shoppers to click through and purchase items with Meghan potentially earning a commission if people buy. The practice is common among Instagram influencers who boost their earnings by promoting affiliate links. The move has raised eyebrows, especially as the items shared by the Duchess of Sussex include a white Heidi Merrick dress and a Loro Piana sweater, both costing more than £1,000.
But a PR and expert told the Mirror Meghan’s latest move is not just about the money. Mayah Riaz, who also works in personal branding, explained: “Meghan creating a ShopMy account aligns with the trend we see among high-profile personalities who are diversifying their income streams. While this is a common move for Instagram influencers, Meghan isn’t positioning herself as just another influencer. In fact, she is leveraging her brand to tap into an audience that’s already highly engaged with her style and lifestyle choices.
“Some may see this as being a step down from the high-profile deals such as Netflix and Spotify, but I believe it’s more of a pivot. Of course, those deals positioned her within traditional media, whereas this shift allows her to have direct control over her brand narrative as well as engagement.
“We know that the influencer economy is booming, and Meghan is smart to capitalise on it rather than solely relying on the big corporate deals.” News of the online shop comes in a month when Meghan’s lifestyle show With Love, Meghan hit Netflix, her new podcast was announced and her brand As Ever began to ramp up promotion.
And Mayah warns that there is a fine balance between staying relevant and becoming overexposed. But she added: “We have seen Meghan stepping back from the spotlight, and her recent surge on Instagram is very much a strategic re-entry into public consciousness.
“The key to long-term success will be ensuring that her content feels authentic and valuable to her audience rather than becoming overly commercialised. If she maintains a strong, intentional strategy, this would solidify her personal brand rather than dilute it.”
News of Meghan’s online store came just hours before the trailer for her new podcast Confessions of a Female Founder was released with Meghan promising “girl talk” and advice on how to create “billion-dollar businesses”.
She tells one guest in the one-minute 57-second trailer to think of the experience as being in a “dolphin tank” rather than a “shark tank”, asks another whether she is single now, talks about the “laser focus” needed in business, and finishes her voiceover with: “Let’s do this, ladies.”
Meghan’s podcast is part of a deal signed last year with Lemonada Media. The Duchess’ Archetypes series about female stereotypes in 2022 ran for just one series and was part of the Sussexes’ previous multi-million-pound deal with Spotify, which ended the year after.
Against an upbeat soundtrack of Crabbuckit by the Canadian hip hop artist k-os, the snippet begins with Meghan saying: “I’m Meghan, and this is Confessions Of A Female Founder, a show where I chat with female entrepreneurs and friends about the sleepless nights, the lessons learned and the laser focus that got them to where they are today.”
