The future of Tupperware Austria remains unclear

“The delivery time is approx. 14 working days. Due to the current order volume, delivery times may be extended at short notice. We ask for your understanding,” says the online shop tupperware.at.

At Tupperware, the specialist for food storage containers, there hasn’t been a party atmosphere for a long time. In mid-September 2024, the US parent company Tupperware Brands applied for creditor protection proceedings. At the beginning of October, Tupperware Austria became insolvent.

On Thursday, a hearing took place at the Vienna Commercial Court in the proceedings regarding the assets of Tupperware Österreich GmbH. According to Creditreform, claims worth 3.5 million euros were registered, including two million euros from the Swiss Tupperware Products AG. The Austrian company sources the goods from Switzerland, but they are delivered via a warehouse in Poland.

Demand very good

“The Austrian subsidiary itself does not have any inventory, but only receives the commissions set within the group,” says the insolvency administrator’s report. “Demand for Tupperware products has remained very good since the bankruptcy was declared and business operations continue to be profitable.” Business has also been going well in recent years.

Internal loans

The reasons for the insolvency go back to the fact that a Tupperware company in Ireland and one in the USA borrowed a total of 9.31 million euros. “These internal loans are not documented or only rudimentarily documented,” it continues. The repayment is more than questionable.

“The fate of Tupperware Austria depends on developments at Tupperware USA,” says Gerhard Weinhofer from Creditreform. “If the process in the USA is not completed successfully, then Tupperware is dead.” However, a stand-alone solution from “Tupperware Europe” is currently being considered.