Mom’s Pocket Money Businesses Go Under

The big, green Tupperware bowl that our family used for everything from potato salad to soaking tired feet – not at the same time – probably still lingers in a landfill somewhere.

And while the individual pieces live on, the 78-year-old company has filed for bankruptcy.

Back in the 1970s, if your Mom didn’t sell Mary Kay or Avon Cosmetics, she was peddling Tupperware. The concept was brilliant. She could be a stay-at-home mother while earning some extra money and socializing with her friends. It’s how many of us came to know crustless sandwiches. My Mom was a party-goer, not a stuff-seller. Those women were just as important to a brand’s success.

Read more: Tupperware’s company history.

Tupperware, and Avon before it, fell behind in the trend toward online sales. Instead of embracing the digital landscape, Tupperware stayed firmly in place, only expanding to retail in Target and via Amazon two years ago. It was far too late. The company racked up millions in debt and couldn’t shake its reputation as your Mom – or Grandma’s – preferred brand.

Avon US is in much bigger trouble. That company also didn’t rise to the challenge of competitors. Add to that, a scandal over its talcum powder’s alleged cancer-causing qualities. My memories of a childhood friend’s bathroom includes a huge, pink container of talc on the back of the toilet. To my young mind, it was the height of prettiness and sophistication. Now, Avon US is facing a massive wave of lawsuits over it.

It Lasts Forever – Like Memories

Tupperware is virtually indestructable and that’s part of the problem. Plastics have fallen out of favour for environmental reasons. However, it’s not unusual to see nearly perfect pieces of Tupperware at antique stores. But in this Amazon Prime world, who would choose old plastic over new? Only someone like me, mainly for nostalgic reasons. I have a few pieces of my Mom’s original Tupperware and I’ve purchased a couple that I’ve seen while out and about.

Avon might be able to make a comeback in some form. It’s been owned by a Korean company for the past five years. Your Avon lady is probably still selling her wares as if everythings business as usual, because outside of the US, it is. It’s a confusing story because there’s Avon Beauty Brands, Avon Inc, plus all the other Avons around the world.

But business analysts think Tupperware isn’t likely to survive. Rubbermaid and other brands have taken its place, even without the trademark BURP when you properly close the lid. People have switched to glass containers or those made of biodegradable plastics. It’s a different world than when the company was founded in 1946.

It’s too bad that Tupperware didn’t market itself as an inexpensive heirloom. Like, when a kid moves out, they get the family Tupperware, because it can’t be ruined and it will keep working and staying out of the landfill. But antique stores are full of stuff younger generations don’t want, especially kitchen stuff. Teacups, china plates, fancy glassware, fussy serving dishes. Tupperware is mixed in there with it all, collecting dust on shelves across the continent.