BRITAIN: The party's over for a generation of housewives after Tupperware announced yesterday that its army of 1,500 sales agents in Britain would be scrapped.
For around half a century, women used to hold get-togethers in their front rooms to sell the plastic food containers. But 21st century life has sounded the death knell for this enduring tradition. "We needed to update our business model," said Ms Jane Garrard, at Tupperware's Miami HQ.
Mr Terence Cosgrave, editor of the UK-based Retail Intelligence said he believed the waning popularity of Tupperware parties was due to changes in eating habits.
"Tupperware was primarily used for storing food. Nowadays more people buy convenience foods and have less use for containers," he said.
Although the Tupperware party, a sign of sophistication in the 1960s and 1970s, had become a butt of satirists in later years, the end will be missed by some.
Ms Helen Fairweather (64) said she attended Tupperware parties in the 1960s. "You would get a group of friends together - bit like an Ann Summers lingerie party - and a person from Tupperware would come along to show their wares.
"You'd provide some nibbles and then, to lighten up the mood a bit, you used to have a little general knowledge quiz and the winner would get a piece of Tupperware," the London pensioner said.
Perhaps summing up the problem Tupperware faces was a comment from a member of the younger generation: "Tupper-what party? Never heard of it. Sounds kinky," said office administrator Ms Sally Wilkes from Croydon.