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The party supplies company launched by Carole Middleton, the mother of the Princess of Wales, experienced a “terrible Christmas”, it has been claimed. Party Pieces, created by Mrs Middleton after growing fed up with the lack of variety available for children’s birthday party supplies, is reportedly one of the many businesses hit by the cost of living crisis, which has forced many Britons to cut their expenses, and the Royal Mail strikes.
And to ease the pressure on the company, Mrs Middleton has taken it upon herself to deal with Party Pieces’ suppliers, a source has claimed.
They told the Daily Mail: “Carole’s been explaining that it’s been a terrible Christmas — made worse by the postal strikes.
“She’s emphasised that she’d like to continue doing business with them [the suppliers] but would like terms allowing Party Pieces 90 days [in which to pay for goods] rather than the usual 30 days.”
The source went on to claim the appeal to the suppliers did not go as Mrs Middleton had hoped.
They added: “They are saying ‘No’ to 90 days’ credit.”
This report comes after figures published in October showed Party Pieces Holdings racked up a loss of £285,506 in 2021, making its net deficit on the balance sheet £1.35million.
A business review at the end of the accounts read: “During the year, the company has seen an impressive 18 per cent increase in retail revenue despite a challenging time for UK retailers.
“The post-tax loss represents the continued investment in the company’s growth plans, including the launch of a wholesale division and the opening of new territories in the US, Europe and the Middle East.”
Express.co.uk has contacted Party Pieces for comment.
The firm, which employs around 40 people, landed its products in the US in October last year, with Mrs Middleton travelling across the pond to visit some of the stores selling Party Pieces.
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In November, Party Pieces also launched a new reward system for loyal customers.
Mrs Middleton acknowledged in an interview with Sheerluxe published in February last year her company had experienced a dip in sales.
Asked how she navigated the years since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis, she said: “Our sales did drop during the pandemic, but we were fortunate that our business did better than some because people still had birthdays and anniversaries to celebrate.
“Customers also got very creative with their celebrations – lots of imaginative deliveries like balloons in a box, personalised cupcakes and party streamer backdrops on Happy Birthday Zoom calls!”
Kate’s mum also spoke about the “very competitive market” her business operates in.
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She said: “The biggest challenge has been making sure we continue to offer a wide range of beautiful party supplies, while keeping prices affordable and delivering what customers want.
“We work hard to stay ahead of the trends and ensure we have original designs and ‘I wish I’d thought of that’ products.
“Extending the life of our partyware and creating more sustainable products is also a key challenge and focus for us.”
Mrs Middleton had the idea to launch her own party supply firm after struggling to find the right items to celebrate Kate’s fifth birthday party.
She told the Daily Mail in an interview dating back to September 2021: “All I could find were basic clown plates. I realised there was a gap in the market for partyware that wasn’t too expensive and which looked good, so decided to design my own.
“I took some prototypes to various High Street retailers and was turned away.”
The string of rejections didn’t stop her from creating her own company, which she initially operated from the Middletons’ family kitchen.
Her first clients were parents at Kate’s nursery school, to whom Mrs Middleton advertised her products by leaving to them leaflets.
Throughout the years, all her three children – Kate, James and Pippa – worked at the firm.
Today, the Middletons own just over half of the business, with lingerie tycoon Steven Brentwood and Darryl Eales also listed as shareholders.
