• by Tanya Gazdik , March 10, 2024

Consumers love a good retail hunt, and Trader Joe’s limited-edition small canvas tote bags have become the latest coveted item. 

The $2.99 bag is sold in four colors and is just big enough to hold lunch, a water bottle and a few other small items. It has started appearing on resale sites like eBay at a markup as high as $500, according toFood & Wine. 

“The tiny Trader Joe’s bag is the latest in a series of totes that have had brushes with internet fame. In 2022, L.L. Bean’s classic Boat and Tote bag got a modern upgrade when people began having the style monogrammed with ironic words and phrases (Think ‘Prada’ and ‘emotional baggage,’)” according toThe New York Times. “After the grocery-delivery company Fresh Direct stopped taking back its bags during the pandemic, some people started turning them into wearable works of art. And earlier this year, the lifestyle influencer Emily Mariko drew criticism after she began selling an extra-large tote for $120. (It sold out almost immediately.)”

The mini tote bags are not the only Trader Joe’s bags to inspire cult fervor among shoppers. 

“Some collect the grocery chain’s different shopping bags, which feature different designs for different states and cities,” according to SFGate. “When Trader Joe’s brought back its ‘mystery packs’ of three reusable bags in November, resellers also posted them on eBay for inflated prices."

Some Trader Joe’s locations report being deluged with phone calls seeking availability of the bag. Consumers are sharing their experiences on social media, according to Bon Appetit. 

“‘Phones were off the hook with people calling about the totes,’ reads one Reddit post, according to Bon Appetit. “On TikTok users are posting scenes from inside the grocery stores, where throngs of shoppers rush displays to get their hands on one of the petite bags. Some locations have cracked down on how many each shopper can buy, which leads me to believe at least one person tried to buy every bag the store had in stock at once.”

Not all shoppers are happy with the chaos.

“Some people online are decrying that, ‘First we have moms in Target fighting over Stanley water bottles,’ said a TikToker who goes by @pyoneaye," according to Food&Wine. “And now we have grocery shoppers fighting over the Trader Joe’s mini tote bag.”