The initial news had me clutching all my pearls.
Tupperware was going out of business! What?
Would potlucks ever be the same again? I could almost hear my ancestors gasping in horror.
Thankfully, it seems, there has been a last-minute agreement with a couple of investors to save the iconic food preparation, serving and storage container company after it applied for bankruptcy.
CEO Laurie Goldman calls it a “new day.”
So, perhaps the company has been handed a lifeline.
The whole thing just sent my memories flooding back. Those green plastic bowls with the lids that families everywhere filled with potato salad and dragged to every family gathering and church social for decades.
Remember, you had to “burb” the lids to seal in freshness. As a kid, I found that gross.
Also gross was the fact I could never ever get a Jell-O to slide out of that dreaded mould perfectly. Not one single time.
Do you remember Tupperware parties? Maybe you were dragged to them by your grandma or mother? Tupperware representatives hosted Tupperware parties, inviting prospective customers into their homes to see the available Tupperware product line.
According to NBC, the company has tried to stay current.
“A lot of the networking now happens on social media, often in dedicated Facebook groups. Glossy photoshops of special deals sourced from a library of promotional images maintained by the company are posted to walls accompanied by emoji-filled captions," it says. "And rather than order slips, sellers these days have a unique URL that earns them a small commission every time someone uses it to make a purchase.”
But even after the digital revolution, in-person Tupperware parties are still being held, hosted by a new league of plastic ambassadors who hawk the kitchenware as a means of making a little cash on the side.”
A side hustle as it were.
The company made a whole line of products and offered a world array of colours.
Tupperware lovers, I am assuming, will not let the products go without a fight.
Homemakers were very attached to the brand. They were loath to let it out of their cold hands — I remember masking tape with the family name, written in permanent marker. Those bowls would be returned on threat of death.
Every kitchen, years ago, had a set of either green or gold or maybe red Tupperware bowls and those tall white salt and pepper shakers.
I know most of us have moved on to dollar-store versions, which are obviously cheaper. Nobody cares if those get returned.
But, in all honestly, they are not as good. They seem not as sturdy and the colours aren’t as cool.
With the resurgence of all things vintage, thrift stores have jacked up the prices on the brand. Certain tumblers, bowls and canisters can bring some big money.
The good news seems to be the company, under new ownership, has been saved.
There is a 2025 product catalogue online with all kinds of stuff, from popcorn makers to carafes. The firm keeps coming up with fresh (not stale) ideas.
So, we shall not put the final lid on the dream of American chemist Earl Tupper, who created Tupperware in 1946.
Speaking of lids, anybody got a few extras in the cupboard?
