Carole Middleton’s business, Party Pieces, has been struggling financially for years. During the pandemic, the company began posting significant losses and, according to recent reports, they’ve had so much trouble with suppliers and the Royal Mail (meaning, significant shipping delays). The combination of Brexit and Covid hit Party Pieces especially hard, although I do question whether PP has been struggling financially for many years before the pandemic, simply because they really aren’t making unique products – you could buy most of PP’s stuff online or at discount stores. Still, Carole tried to grow her failing business, even introducing Party Pieces to the ShopRite chain in America. Looks like Party Pieces’ big American invasion was a total flop as well. So here we are: Carole is looking to sell Party Pieces.

An online party decorations retailer owned by Carole Middleton, the Princess of Wales’s mother, has hired advisers for a potential sale of the business as it struggles with dwindling sales. Party Pieces, which was founded by Carole Middleton, has appointed Interpath to advise on its strategic options, which could include a possible sale or funding from an outside investor.

It comes after reports that the company, which is owned by Mrs Middleton and her husband Michael, became embroiled in a row with suppliers and suffered a dip in sales over the crucial Christmas period. The retailer struggled as cost-of-living pressures hit households and Royal Mail strikes caused delays to deliveries, the Daily Mail reported. Mrs Middleton was also reported to be in a dispute with suppliers over attempts to extend payment terms to 90 days from the usual 30 days. Party Pieces declined to comment at the time.

A spokesman for Party Pieces said: “We are working with our advisers to secure additional investment which will help support the business as we look to embark on the next phase of our growth plan.”

[From The Telegraph]

Whenever I read these straight-reporting pieces about Party Pieces’ failing business, I think about how many dumbf–k books have been written about the Windsors and the Sussexes, and I always wonder why some enterprising British journalist has never done a deep dive into the Middletons’ finances. I’m a broken record about this, I know, but I just have so many questions about the whole PP operation, as well as the Middletons’ real estate in Bucklebury, that weird story about a pot farm adjacent to the Middletons’ property, whether Gary Goldsmith has laundered money through his sister and a lot more. Anyway, I always thought that maybe James Middleton was the black sheep of the family, the only one with zero business sense, but I suspect it’s more of a family trait.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, cover of Good Housekeeping.