7 Popular Products That Almost Failed

Timing is everything when it comes to launching a product. A great product idea might flop if customers aren’t ready to accept it. That’s what almost happened to these seven products — all of which had slow starts, but went on to become hits with American consumers.

1. VW Beetle: Sold 330 its first year in the U.S.
2. Liquid Paper: Sold 1,200 bottles in its first year.
3. Cuisinart: Sold 200 in its first year.
4. Listerine: Launched initially as a surgical antiseptic in 1879, it didn’t achieve widespread popularity until the 1920s when it was marketed as a solution for bad breath.
5. Scrabble: Sold 532 in its first year.
6. Coca-Cola (bottled): Sold 25 bottles in its first year.
7. Tupperware: Launched in 1946, it didn’t start selling until two years later when a sales company offered the products via Tupperware “parties.”