Wednesday, July 18, 2001 | 11:03 a.m.
NEW YORK -- Tupperware, the storage and serving container company that has sought to expand its business beyond the traditional party, has entered into its first agreement with a national retail chain.
Beginning in October, Tupperware will be sold in 62 SuperTarget stores from Las Vegas to Florida. Each store will carry 40 to 50 Tupperware products like cutlery, vegetable storage containers and microwave-safe cookware.
A Target manager said today Tupperware would be sold in local stores, but it hasn't been determined which stores or what products would be available.
The partnership between the Tupperware Corp. and Target stores represents the first time Tupperware has been sold in a national retail store. It has sold its goods in mall kiosks, on the Internet and on the Home Shopping Network.
Tupperware is following in the footsteps of Avon, which also uses direct sales and independent sales agents to reach customers, and recently announced a deal to sell its cosmetics in department stores. As more households have two adults working outside the home, the need to put direct-sales products in retail outlets has increased.
"It's much more time-effective for people, and it enables Tupperware to better capture those consumers who don't have the time and inclination to attend a Tupperware party," said Rommel Dionisio, an analyst at Friedman, Billings & Ramsey who covers Tupperware and Avon.
Most SuperTargets, which are larger versions of standard Target stores, include a grocery section, bakery, bank, restaurant and a Starbucks coffee shop. There are 37 SuperTargets in 12 states.
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