Tupperware files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy

Sept. 18 (UPI) -- The company that owns Tupperware, the iconic food storage and kitchen products business that has been around for nearly 80 years, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware on Tuesday, officials said.

Tupperware Brands Corp. said in a statement it hopes to sell the company in the process while continuing to service its current customers. Officials said a new management team has been working to modernize Tupperware into a "digital-first, technology-led" company.

"Whether you are a dedicated member of our Tupperware team, sell, cook with, or simply love our Tupperware products, you are part of our Tupperware family," President and CEO Laurie Ann Goldman said in a statement. "We plan to continue serving our value customers with the high-quality products they love and trust throughout this process."

Goldman said Tupperware's financial position had been severely impacted over the past several years by a "challenging macroeconomic environment." She said the company had been trying to determine its best business path forward.

"This process is meant to provide us with essential flexibility as we pursue strategic alternatives to support our transformation into a digital-first, technology-led company better positioned to serve our stakeholders."

Tupperware said there will be no current changes to its independent sales consultant agreements that were once the most recognizable and iconic parts of the company. It said it would file court motions to address employee wages and benefits and payment of vendors and suppliers while in bankruptcy.

Founded in 1946 as a solution to food storage and waste, the products became part of the country's social fabric using "Tupperware parties," often hosted by independent female contractors as its main sales vehicle.