A Kennewick woman has been selling Tupperware for 40 years, and at the age of 71, she doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon.

“People will ask me, ‘Are you going to retire?’ and I go, ‘Why should I retire? I come and go as I please,’” said Sharon Winters, an executive manager for Tupperware. “As long as I’m here doing something good, I’m not going to walk away from it.”

Working for Tupperware initially gave Winters the opportunity to be financially independent while raising her kids and the career has shaped her life in many ways. She said she’s remained with the company all these years for the relationships she has made.

Winters was born in Boston and grew up in England, then moved back to the United States and spent time living in Texas, where she started selling for Tupperware. 

She already loved the food storage products and figured she could sell them while staying at home to raise her kids. So, she went to a meeting knowing no one to see how to get involved. 

When she moved to the Tri-Cities in 1995, she kept selling Tupperware.

Making connections

While Tupperware is sold at some stores, like Costco, Target, Macy’s, Amazon and elsewhere, most products are still sold through local representatives. 

The brand initially took off through in-home parties, which were key to Tupperware’s success for many years, Winters said. 

At these home-based parties, Tupperware ladies – as they used to be called – showcased their leak-proof, spill-proof wares. The party host then earned free merchandise based on sales made during the party, which often included games, prizes and snacks. 

Winters said her presentations vary depending on her audience and the season. At the beginning of the year she might talk about how to store and organize food. For a group of young mothers, she might demonstrate how to make baby food from scratch. 

The brand is not just about storage, she said, but also eating healthier, saving money and generally helping people live better. 

Winters makes herself available during these parties to chat individually and answer questions. Party attendees can then order the products they like.

As online platforms have become more prevalent, social media, texting and even online parties have developed to connect customers with Tupperware products, though Winters still does in-person parties. 

She also sets up a Tupperware booth at holiday bazaars around the Tri-Cities, promotes the brand at events like the Tri-City Family Expo and Regional Home & Garden Show, and recently hosted an open house for an end-of-year sale.

People still want to see and touch the products in person, Winters said. “They don’t want to go online and order something and then, ‘Oh gosh, that’s not what I wanted,’” she said. 

In-person events also keep Winters committed to the company. Many of her customers have been coming to her for years and now may be buying Tupperware products for their kids or grandkids. Often, people she hasn’t seen in a while will come looking for her booth at bazaars. 

“It’s like homecoming,” she said. 

Flexible work

Winters has enjoyed the flexibility and independence a career with Tupperware has given her. She was able to fly to England when her dad passed away, to attend her children’s activities and to travel.

“You can come to work and, you know, click a clock, or you can be an entrepreneur,” she said. 

The year her daughter got married, Winters had her largest year in sales as she worked to give her daughter her dream wedding. Selling Tupperware products also has allowed her to save for her own retirement and to remodel her home. 

She said the company offers the opportunity for young mothers, like her when she started to earn money, while still taking care of their kids.

Winters’ own children are now adults but she enjoys taking her grandchildren to school every day.

Evolving products

Winters said Tupperware products have a limited lifetime warranty and can be replaced 30 years later if the company still has the product. That’s one of the perks that sets the brand apart from cheaper container brands.

When Winters first started with the company, Tupperware was beginning to sell colorful products. Now, the trend is clear containers. Cooking has shifted to being microwave-based, and Tupperware has adapted to this as well. 

Sometimes, the people that Winters talks with aren’t even aware that Tupperware is still around and evolving. But the 80-year-old company is still launching products, including a new line of glass products popular with younger generations. 

The company hasn’t been without its share of challenges though. Tupperware filed for bankruptcy in September 2024 citing challenging macroeconomic conditions a year after the Covid-19 pandemic. It was acquired by Party Products LLC two months later.

Changing lives

If Winters had to sell just one line of Tupperware, she said she’d pick the modular products meant for storing pasta, flour, snacks and more that can help keep pantries and cupboards organized.

“I do more than just put goods in canisters,” she said. “I actually redesign your kitchen because it takes somebody’s different eyes to strategize.” 

She’ll go into customers’ homes to help them visualize different ways to organize, then will order their products. When they arrive, Winters helps to label them and fill them with food.

Sometimes the redesign is small, and other times a client wants to change everything. “There’s so many avenues to pursue, you know, it’s not just a bowl. Yeah, we’ve got bowls, but this will actually change someone’s life for sure,” she said.   

For Winters, that’s what she’s most passionate about: helping people through her work with Tupperware.

“It’s fun to see people’s excitement,” she said. “And again, that’s another way of helping people live better. Saves on time, on grocery shopping, you know, throwing stuff away and not buying duplication. I could go on and on.”

Buying Tupperware

Shoppers may spot Tupperware products in stores, but Winters said those won’t include the most up-to-date products, including the glass line. 

The best way to get the products is still through local Tupperware representatives, which can be found through Tupperware’s main website. 

Winters has her own Tupperware website: my.tupperware.com/sharonwinters.