Tupperware

Tupperware
Company typeSubsidiary
Founded1946 in Leominster, Massachusetts
FounderEarl Tupper
Headquarters
Orlando Edit this on Wikidata
ProductsFood preparation, storage, and serving products for the kitchen and home; beauty products
RevenueIncrease US$2.26 billion (2017)
Number of employees
13,500 (2010)
ParentTupperware Brands
Websitewww.tupperware.com

Tupperware is an American food storage container company. It sells and repairs plastic containers for home, kitchen, and personal use.

History

The company was founded in 1942 by Earl Tupper. It became a public subsidiary in 1946 under Tupperware Brands.

First products

Tupperware released its first product, a plastic bowl, in 1946.

According to a 2018 Smithsonian article:

[The bowl] was widely praised by the [growing] plastic industry, which wanted quality plastic products in consumer hands. “It was also featured as an icon of modern design,” [Smithsonian curator Shelley Nickles] says. An article in House Beautiful described its sleek, translucent, green-and-white lines as “fine art for 39 cents.” That was the original cost of the bowl, which translates to about $5.50 in today’s money. Now, a three-piece set of the Wonderlier bowl, its successor, goes for $35.00.

21st century

As of 2023, Tupperware products were sold in nearly 70 countries.

Tupperware filed for bankruptcy in September 2024, reporting $812 million in debt.

Marketing model

See also: Multi-level marketing

Tupperware operates as a multi-level marketing company.

In the 1950s, women often held "Tupperware parties" in their homes. Selling Tupperware allowed many women to earn income and independence even when they could not work outside the home.

According to marketing professor Venkatesh Shankar:

[Tupperware] had tremendous cultural impact. The famous neighborhood house parties where Tupperware products were sold by the host to her family and friends were a new way of marketing, combining socializing with direct sales.

Examples

References

  1. ↑ "Form 10-K Annual Report Filed Feb 22, 2011 (FY 2010)". Tupperware Inc./SEC Filing. Archived from the original on 2012-07-27.
  2. ↑ Staff, Community Advocate (2023-10-18). "How Earl Tupper turned one product into a household name". Fifty Plus Advocate. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  3. ↑ "For Tupperware, our history started 77 years ago with a paint can". Tupperware Brands Corp. Archived from the original on 2024-08-08. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  4. 1 2 3 Kavilanz, Parija (2023-04-13). "So this is how the Tupperware party ends | CNN Business". CNN. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  5. 1 2 Mishra, Savyata; Knauth, Dietrich (2024-09-18). "Tupperware files for bankruptcy as its colorful containers lose relevance". Reuters. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  6. ↑ Graham, Megan (2024-10-24). "Companies Like Tupperware Made Multilevel Marketing Famous. Now Some Newer MLMs Are Ditching It". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2024-11-13.