The Tupperware factory in Belgium has closed permanently after 63 years. Other European factories have also lost their licences, as have thousands of independent consultants.
From 67 to 8 countries
The 270 employees of the Belgian Tupperware factory (in Aalst) are losing their jobs, although bankruptcy has not yet been officially declared. At the end of 2024, American leverage funds took over the ailing company and drastically reduced the number of active markets, taking Europe out of the picture. The Portuguese plant, which employed some 200 people, also closed its doors.
Yet the Belgian plant was (modestly) profitable: last year it still made a profit of 677,000 euros on sales of 40 million euros. On behalf of the Belgian management, lawyers have now taken legal action against the American directors, who they believe are shirking their responsibilities. An official bankruptcy filing is crucial to the employees, as it will have a direct impact on the level of redundancy payments.
After the relaunch, Tupperware will only operate in eight markets. This means that the thousands of Belgian consultants (independent sellers) also lose their licences and therefore their source of income. Although it is possible that a new European licence might be granted in the future, production will no longer be carried out locally.
