The end of an era and the mythical Tupperware meetings? When the company was launched in 1946 by Earl Tupper, its unbreakable, lightweight and sealable plastic containers were so innovative “that customers needed demonstrations to understand how they worked”, she explains on her site. .
The idea of the famous Tupperware meetings, often at the home of a host or host receiving knowledge in their living room around snacks in exchange for a discount on a product, was launched. But the brand has lost its luster and its sales have been halved in ten years, dropping to $1.3 billion in 2022.
Tupperware is facing a drop in the number of its sellers, notes Neil Saunders, specialist in the distribution sector for the firm GlobalData. The majority of its sales are indeed made via animators who earn a percentage of the amount of sales made, but the number of those regularly placing orders has fallen from around 800,000 at the end of 2012 to 284,000 at the end of 2022.
Loss of popularity
Tupperware is also not as popular anymore, he argues, especially with younger people. The company no longer offers very innovative products and above all the company “has lost a lot of market share to cheaper brands that are accessible directly in stores”, explains Neil Saunders.
The American company has tried new strategies, in particular by partnering with chain stores and expanding its online sales. But in 2022, she lost $14 million. And recently, the management admitted to having “significant doubts about its ability to continue its activity”. Since then, its action on the Wall Street Stock Exchange has evolved on a roller coaster.