Tupperware finds new life party via virtual parties

Sellers set up streaming events using Zoom or Facebook and invite friends to join, before demonstrating products alongside games, discussions and demonstrations

Spotted: In 2019, analysts were predicting the end of Tupperware, with the company publishing a revenue slide of 13 per cent. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, many predicted that would be the final straw for the iconic brand, which relies on the direct selling of their products. However, many of the company’s 30 million sales associates found that remote Tupperware parties were proving a popular social occasion for people stuck indoors.

Indeed, it seems that people stuck in lockdown or self-isolation are cooking more than ever, and buying more kitchen equipment of all kinds as a result. In the third quarter of the year, Tupperware’s sales jumped by 72 per cent. On top of this, the number of Tupperware consultants also rose, as workers furloughed from other jobs started looking around.

Most of the online Tupperware sales parties are taking place on Facebook or Zoom. Sellers set up an event and invite friends to join, before demonstrating the products alongside games, discussions and demonstrations. There is a lower commitment from “guests”, who can pop in and out, and the online parties have other big sales advantages – they can be much bigger than any in-person party, and are not stuck in just one location. Sellers are also branching out to TikTok and WhatsApp, thus drawing younger people to the brand.

Tupperware has also been working to interest younger buyers with events such as last year’s one-off pop-up store in New York’s trendy SoHo area, which featured a limited range of high-priced products, such as a $25 (€21) reusable straw. The company has said that the store intended to, “show that the product is still here and still available for a whole new generation,” whilst also making Tupperware’s products look trendy and exclusive.

Tupperware is not the only brand hoping to cash in on the growth of remote shopping. As the pandemic continues to keep consumers at home, a huge number of businesses are pivoting to online models. These have included a host of live-streaming innovations, such as live-streamed product launches, and new business models, such as the converting of a single restaurant into three pop-up dining options.

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