The Story Behind the Tupperware Party

First, let’s clarify something: Tupperware was not the first company that implemented party plan selling. Despite the general belief, Frank Stanley Beveridge’s Stanley Home Products had implemented the party plan method years before Earl Tupper did the same in his company. Now, let’s turn to the story…

Frank Stanley Beveridge launched his business in 1931. In a few years, Stanley Home Products became a well-known name through selling cleaning aids and brushes. In the meanwhile, the unusually high orders coming from a dealer attract interest at the company. He was selling through demonstrations to groups. Seeing this, the company introduced a new selling method, called “Hostess Home Party”. Housewives would invite friends and relatives to their homes for product demonstrations. Members seeing the success in selling through such organizations, chose to use this method rather than selling to individuals.

With this shift, Stanley Home Products become a training platform to many who then, took other routes in their careers. Mary Kay’s founder Mary Kay Ash, and Jafra’s founders Jan and Frank Day were among them.

Brownie Wise was among these Stanley Home consultants, selling products to make some extra money. She thought Tupperware should be sold at home parties, too, because potential buyers needed product demonstrations. As a side note, Tupperware products were mainly sold at hardware and department stores until then. Brownie Wise switched over from Stanley Home Products to Tupperware, recruited team members and managers, and became a success selling Tupperware at home parties.

Noticing Brownie’s success in selling his products, Tupperware founder Earl Tupper hired and gave her the Vice President title. Her task was to implement a system whereby Tupperware products would be sold through home demonstrations.

This way of selling Tupperware products made the company so successful that these demonstrations were branded globally as “Tupperware Parties”, although the concept did not originate at Tupperware.

In time, Brownie Wise became the face of Tupperware. She participated in TV shows and in 1954, became the first woman to appear on the cover of Businessweek magazine.

Later, Tupper and Wise had disagreements on management issues and Earl Tupper fired her in 1958. Brownie Wise continued her career for some years and died in 1992 at the age of 79.

Since then, selling products through home parties has been utilized by many companies. And Brownie Wise has been remembered as the woman who provided housewives the opportunity to build their own careers in post-World War II era.

Last week’s free post, if you missed it:

A short selection of headlines from our weekly news roundup:

• Mary Kay: 2026 Sustainability Report has been released

• Betterware: Evaluating production increase at Tupperware plants

• Herbalife: APAC wellness survey’s findings

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By Hakki Ozmorali - Founder of The World of Direct Selling

We have Anna Malmhake in this part of “Leadership Unplugged”. Anna began her journey with Oriflame Cosmetics as a Board Member. Then in June 2023, she was appointed as the company’s Chief Executive Officer.

I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Stockholm University. What attracted me to business studies was the opportunity to understand how organizations work and, perhaps even more importantly, how people make decisions. Looking back, that interest in people has been a common thread throughout my career.