"In a video shared to Instagram and TikTok, Nelson said, "This isn't how I thought the story would go. I thought Sprinkles would keep going and be around forever. I thought it was going to be my legacy." Sprinkles has yet to make a formal announcement, but its Instagram profile appears to be gone and the store locator tab on its website now produces an error message."
"While Nelson asked people to share their "special Sprinkles memory or story" with her, many of the comments under her post instead take a vehemently anti-private equity stance-and blame her for the demise. Below is just a sample of the types of comments Nelson has received: "Selling to private equity was the beginning of the end." "What did you expect? Private equity has literally NEVER made things better for customers only for board members' and investors' pockets.""
All Sprinkles Cupcakes locations closed as of December 31, 2025. Founder Candace Nelson confirmed the shutdown in a video posted to Instagram and TikTok and expressed disappointment, saying she had expected the business to endure as her legacy. The brand's Instagram profile appears to be gone and the store locator on the website returns an error, with no formal announcement posted. Nelson sold Sprinkles to private equity in 2012 and no longer held a stake; KarpReilly LLC invested shortly after. Many social media commenters blamed private equity and criticized the decision to sell, citing investor priorities over customers and legacies. Fast Company reached out to the brand's PR contact for details. Private equity involvement has been noted in other recent retail failures.
Read at Fast Company
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