Party time as younger set seal deals in mould of Tupperware

THEY were once the height of the suburban social scene but fell out of favour over the past 20 years. But now “party plan” get-togethers are making a return particularly among the “yummy mummy” demographic of financially solvent young women.

Once the domain of American food storage manufacturer Tupperware – and, albeit with a slightly different business model, beauty firm Avon – the concept of selling goods in a private living room over a few glasses of wine, or through door-to-door catalogues distributed by local “agents” who can flog products through friends and colleagues, burst into British consciousness in the second half of the 20th century.

The ideas – of both Tupperware parties and Avon Ladies – allowed women to run their own businesses, in many cases was the first time, and thrived until well into the 1980s when more women opted to take other jobs outside of the home.

But dozens of new brands have made a foray into revolutionising the market in recent years – often staffed by women looking for an alternative means of income or new generations of young mothers who have given up full-time employment after the birth of a child.

However, parties are now as likely to be centred around selling celebrity-chef endorsed kitchenware and products from organic skin-care firms, as the dozens of make-up and clothing companies and even children’s books firms pouring into the market. Even not-for-profit brands have jumped on the bandwagon, with Scottish fair trade organisation the One World Shop offering sale or return for those wanting to hold their own events at home.

Fiona Robertson, 54, from Edinburgh, took on a franchise for party plan firm Shoes Glorious Shoes three years ago when made redundant after 30 years in the drinks industry.

“I think parties like this have become popular with the younger generation who do not remember the Tupperware parties of the past,” said Robertson, who employs two agents in the Lothians to sell shoes, boots and handbags at parties. “I find people in their 20s and 30s see them as an excuse to get together, have a glass of wine and a chat, but it is women in their 50s who perhaps went to the parties of old who still see them as having a stigma attached.”

She added: “It’s more normal for the younger generation to have a girls’ night – a lot of young women, especially mums, meet up anyway once a month or so and some kind of party night is just a chance to do something different. Often they seem to have hosted a range of parties from make-up and beauty to kitchenware and are working their way through the list.”

A far cry from the formal Tupperware parties of the 1960s to 80s, the invitation cards popping through the letterboxes of partygoers these days are slick and colourful and lure guests in with the promise of added extras including makeovers, cooking tips and quizzes.

One of the newest brands on the market, Jamie at Home, which launched under three years ago, encourages food lovers to sell Jamie Oliver-branded goods to friends and colleagues – either by becoming an official “consultant”, or by offering to host a party led by a local planner in their home – while upmarket natural skincare firm Neal’s Yard operates a similar model through its NYR Organic brand.

A spokeswoman for Jamie at Home, which has 3,800 consultants, said: “We attract a wide demographic, from those recently made redundant or needing to top up their income to mums looking for a way to earn money that fits around their family.”

Fake Bake offers its own “at home” parties, where hosts can arrange a tanning night for friends, while Phoenix Trading, which sells greeting cards through 9,000 UK agents, brings in more than £10 million a year. Even sex toy retailer Ann Summers offers its products in shoppers’ own living rooms.

And Tupperware itself, after pulling out of the UK in 2003, announced last year it was planning a comeback. While this week reporting a slight dip in sales from its core western European market in the last three months of 2011, it is performing strongly overall, raking in increased profits of $86.9m(£54.9m) during the period.

“Every 1.5 seconds, a party or a spa is starting somewhere in the world,” said Rick Goings, chief executive of Tupperware Brands, which also sells beauty products. “And it is the ultimate social network, because it’s our friends. We strive to keep it entertaining, informative, and up-to-date with current trends.”

“There has definitely been an expansion in the market away from just Tupperware into all sorts of products in recent years,” said Leigh Sparks, professor of retail studies at Stirling University. “The question about Tupperware parties was whether it was the party plan parties that were old fashioned or the product itself – and there are a lot more modern products in the market now.”