Here’s a look at some of the key moments in the journey of the brand that was once the mainstay of American kitchens:

1940s

The company is named after chemist Earl Tupper, who invented the plastic containers from waste polyethylene slag generated from the oil refining process at DuPont’s factory.

Mass-produced in myriad colors after the Great Depression to help war-weary families save money on food waste, the designs do not sell at department stores.

Brownie Wise, an advice columnist, collaborates with Tupper to shift to a “party plan” marketing strategy by holding patio parties where she recruits women to sell for her, according to Smithsonian Magazine.

Wise’s strategy boosts Tupperware’s popularity. One woman she recruited sells 56 bowls in one week, according to the magazine.

1950s

Wise, the creator of the Tupperware party, is made VP of marketing for Tupperware Parties Inc.

Tupper patents the “Tupper Seal,” which refers to the airtight and leak-proof container lids that keep food leftovers fresh.

However, in 1958 after gaining success, Tupper decides to sell the business to Rexall Drugs, now Dart Industries, for $16 million, and fires Wise.

1960s

Tupperware’s new owner expands the business to Europe and Central and South America, which quickly accelerates its overseas sales, often through in-person marketing techniques like Tupperware parties.

1970s

The company branches out to make different containers and also enters the toy market.

Tupperware becomes known for the Shape-O-Toy, a bright plastic ball with cutouts that correspond to yellow plastic shapes. The colorful plaything is still sold, according to food blog Chowhound.

Sales exceed half a billion dollars in 1976, according to Encyclopedia.com.

1980s

Founder Tupper dies in 1983 and several of Tupperware’s patents expire.

Several rivals, from off-brand plastic food storage containers to major players like Rubbermaid and Glad enter the market with cheaper alternatives to Tupperware.

The company’s sales and profit start to slip, also because of a labor problem stemming from women joining the workforce, which limits their time to attend Tupperware parties.

In 1986, Dart Industries and Kraft Inc. split, reversing their 1980 merger, making Tupperware part of a new company, Premark International, which refreshes products including Sandwich Keeper containers and Lunch ’N Bags sets.

1990s

Sales in the U.S. decline even though international business grows. Rick Goings, executive at direct-sales leader Avon, takes over as president in 1992.

The company moves into direct mail, sending out unsolicited catalogs in 1992 in a bid to cut costs and step up recruiting efforts for sales.

Profits improve through the mid-1990s, partly due to massive product innovation between 1994 and 1996, according to Encyclopedia.com.

In May 1996, Premark spins off Tupperware, which then lists on the New York Stock Exchange as an independent public company.

2000s

Business slows and the company forges a deal with Target Corp., allowing the retail chain to sell Tupperware containers in its U.S. stores in 2002.

2020s

Tupperware enjoys a resurgence in sales and popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic as more Americans return to cooking at home amid travel curbs.

But as the restrictions ease, the company’s margins take a blow from a spike in costs tied to raw materials as well as labor and freight.

The business takes a further hit from a proliferation of free restaurant to-go boxes from pandemic-era carryout orders and a rise in competition from Newell Brands, which makes Rubbermaid, FoodSaver and Ball glass jars, and Clorox’s GladWare.

The company’s stock slumps in 2023 as it raises going-concern doubts, delays its annual report, and breaches credit obligations.

The stock gets caught in “meme stock” frenzy, where retail investors coordinate on social media and focus their bets on struggling companies with high short interest.

In September, Bloomberg News reports that the company is preparing to file for bankruptcy. A day later, it files for bankruptcy protection, but says it will continue to sell products during the proceedings.

—By Savyata Mishra, Reuters