For snack savers and leftovers lovers, Tupperware’s colorful plastic bowls and tumblers long set the food storage standard. But today, the brand known for keeping things fresh seems to have gone stale. Tupperware has filed for bankruptcy.
In the 1940s, chemist Earl Tupper invented an airtight plastic seal. His device helped prevent food spills and kept stored food from going bad. Soon, Tupper’s gadget led to a full line of plastic containers.
Tupperware Brands experienced huge growth in the mid-20th century. The main reason for that expansion was the rise of person-to-person sales.
First held in 1948, Tupperware home parties gave entrepreneurs—almost exclusively women—a means of financial independence. The female-focused business model tapped into social networks—the real-life, in-person kind. Women could sell useful, nearly indestructible kitchen products to friends and neighbors from the comfort of their homes.
Tupperware parties took off! Hostesses gave group demonstrations while serving deviled eggs in the brand’s Egg Keeper and fruit salad from the giant 26-cup Fix n Mix. Guests ooohed and aaahed over pretty dishes and learned to “burp” lids for freshness. Parties featured games with prizes of Tupperware pieces like a tiny bowl keychain or a two-ounce Tupper mini, “perfect for small treats for kids or adults.”
Ann Anthony attended Tupperware parties for nearly 50 years. She wrote in 1996: “We went home with renewed ability to face the next day and its chores.” The parties produced lots of Tupperware goodwill—and product orders.
Home parties were the brainchild of Brownie Wise. They worked so well that Tupperware pulled out of stores entirely in 1951. Tupper made Wise a company executive, a rarity for a woman at the time.
The Tupperware brand kept expanding. There were canisters, condiment holders, cake and pie carriers, and kitchen implements galore. Tupperware became a staple in America’s kitchens and eventually in Europe’s as well. A reporter once spotted Tupperware on Queen Elizabeth II’s breakfast table!
But more recently, Tupperware has suffered from falling sales and rising competition. Rubbermaid, OXO, and even glass have become ubiquitous and favored options. Plus, as consumers’ online shopping increased, the once-celebrated Tupperware party lost its luster.
Tupperware President and CEO Laurie Ann Goldman acknowledges Tupperware’s struggles but insists the brand isn’t going anywhere.
The company has dabbled with selling products on Amazon and in Target and Macy’s. But financial analysts criticize Tupperware for sticking mostly with its direct sales model.
Some Tupperware sellers—now called consultants—do market their goods online. However, many still prefer selling the old-fashioned way: in homes.
Why? The Tupperware model gave women a legitimate and enjoyable way to be hospitable while providing for their families. (See Proverbs 31.)
UPDATE: On October 29, a bankruptcy judge approved Tupperware Brands’ proposal to sell its assets to a group of lenders. That clears the company to exit bankruptcy. The sale includes Tupperware’s brand name and its assets in core markets including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, China, Korea, India, and Malaysia.
