Having become a symbol of modernity in kitchens in the 1950s, Tupperware found itself short of cash. And behind this success story lies that of the founder, a mad scientist consumed by paranoia.
From the Great Depression to the Great Invention
If you were wondering where the name Tupperware came from, the name of its creator gives a clue: Earl Tupper. Before becoming a businessman, this American born in 1907 worked as an arboriculturist. Alongside this, he looked for ideas for inventions that would allow his family to be financially secure. A desire that became urgent as the Great Depression decimated Americans’ wallets, in the aftermath of the crash of 1929.
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But the good ideas are clearly not there: sock clips, eyebrow dye protectors, ice cream gutter to put on ice cream cones. Nothing is very successful and he is forced to find a job at the DuPont company, which specializes in chemicals.
A blessing in disguise, as Earl Tupper discovered what would propel him to commercial success: polyethylene. A flexible, lightweight plastic material, initially used for electrical cables and military radars during World War II. Tupper immediately saw the potential of this substance, and after experimentation and numerous adjustments, he managed to create a range of airtight containers, equipped with a revolutionary lid inspired by the seals used for paint cans. The timing was perfect, given that the first refrigerators were entering American homes. Thus, in 1946, the first Tupperware box model, the “Wonderbowl”, was born.
A difficult market to conquer, except that…
Immediately after designing the first models, Earl Tupper offers his products in stores. But like the rest of his inventions, it is a flop. But convinced that this idea is the right one, he perseveres and wants to understand the reason for this failure. It is at this time that he meets Brownie Wise, a demonstrator in door-to-door sales. She explains her sales technique to him. A direct marketing that pushes the creator to hire her in the company to allow this strategy to be developed and thus give up selling in stores. This is the beginning of the “Tupperware parties”.
Organized by housewives turned hostesses, these meetings allow participants to discover products in a friendly setting and exchange advice on their use. This social marketing concept not only transforms the retail landscape, but also offers an opportunity for financial independence to thousands of women at a time when they are only beginning to become financially emancipated. And there, success is there.
A success that allowed the company to expand internationally, with a first factory… in Belgium, in Alost in 1961.
quotation mark“I accept your advice as if someone were telling me that I have leprosy.”
Argument and paranoia
As the company’s success grew, Brownie Wise’s popularity spread throughout the country. At the same time, Earl Tupper began to sink into paranoia. He was happy to have the money, but he still had to keep it. And according to him, the company would no longer be attractive if his partner continued to become famous.He was convinced that the company would be much more attractive to prospective buyers if it were not run by a woman. He saw that Brownie Wise was living a high life, losing sight of promoting the product and becoming interested only in himself.explains journalist Bob Kealing in his essay on the brand’s success.
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The relationship between the two then becomes toxic, until it reaches a breaking point.I accept your advice as if I were being told that I have leprosy.“, the entrepreneur said to her partner in 1958. The same year, Tupper fired her and gave her $30,000 in compensation.
From there, it was a downward spiral for Earl Tupper. His paranoia grew, convinced that the taxman would take all his money. Unable to bear the pressure any longer, he cracked. He sold the company to Rexall Drug, a pharmaceutical chain, for $16 million (121 million euros today) in 1958. But that was not all, he left his wife and children, renounced his American citizenship in order to avoid paying taxes and flew to a remote island in Costa Rica to live alone with his money. He would breathe his last there in 1983.
The end of the reign
Despite the departure of its founder, success continued for many years. The concept of Tupperware parties is developing all over the world, particularly in the West.
But after decades of the same sales model, it began to run out of steam. In the early 2000s, the company stopped the marketing technique that had made it famous. First in the United Kingdom, then in Ireland.
More recently, the brand simply stopped its activities in Israel (in 2018), the Netherlands (in 2021) and New Zealand (end of 2022).
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It must be said that sales are slowing down. In the last quarter of 2022, sales fell 20% from the previous year, to $313.7 million. In total, Tupperware recorded a loss of $35.7 million that year.
In April 2023, the company had already come close to bankruptcy. But it has managed to hold on, at least until today, to debts of more than 700 million dollars with an inability to repay this debt.
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