Trader Joe’s canvas mini tote bags are being resold online for the same price as designer and high-end handbags due to social media hype causing the low-price item’s market value to soar.
The Trader Joe’s tote bags, available in blue, red, green, and yellow, are being sold on eBay, Facebook, and other e-commerce marketplaces for up to $500. Fanatics of the grocery store chain are clamoring for the bag and even waiting in long lines before the doors open.
The mini tote bag retails for $2.99 and is made of the same heavy-duty 65% cotton/35% polyester blend as Trader Joe’s larger classic canvas bags, according to the grocer’s website.
The most expensive sold listing on eBay was a set of four mini totes (all four colors), which went for $499.99, including shipping. At least three other sets of four bags sold for over $100.
Trader Joe’s released a statement on March 2 regarding their products being sold by third-party resellers.
“At times, and more so recently, we have been aware of our products being resold, often at exorbitant prices, in various places (online and elsewhere),” the California-headquartered grocery chain’s statement said. “This is done without our approval or authorization and outside the controls of our quality-minded supply chain.”
Trader Joe’s also said it only sells its products in its physical stores to focus on customers and provide value through offering great quality products at outstanding prices.
To be clear, we neither condone nor support the reselling of our products and do everything we can to stop the practice, as stated by the company in its statement.
Expect more Trader Joe’s mini tote bags in the late summer
Nakia Rohde, public relations manager for Trader Joe’s, told on Monday that her mini canvas tote bags certainly sold more quickly than we anticipated.
Before we had the opportunity to promote them in any way, customers across the country found them at their neighborhood Trader Joe’s, Rohde said.
Rodhe reiterated that Trader Joe’s is focused on its customers and stores, so it does not endorse the resale of any of our products, anywhere.
Customers who were unable to obtain a bag will have another chance to buy it when they return to stores in late summer, according to Rodhe.
Although the mini tote bags have gained popularity recently, they have been in stock since at least Feb. 27, as stated by @traderjoeslist, an Instagram account that highlights popular products from the grocery store.
The mini tote bags are “only available for a limited time,” according to the product description on Trader Joe’s website. It’s unclear how limited they will be when they’re back in stores in the summer.
‘That was a little embarrassing,’ TikToker says about waiting in line for Trader Joe’s mini tote bags
TikToker @valeriak shared a video a week ago that showed the high demand for the bags and the process she took to secure them.
“There’s so many people in line… oh my God,” @valeriak said while arriving at her local Trader Joe’s.
While waiting in line, @valeriak recorded an employee saying that the store was limiting customers to five bags per purchase. Once in the store, hundreds of bags appear stacked on a table for customers to grab.
“SO CUTEEE,” @valeriak said while choosing her bags.
After leaving the store, @valeriak said, ‘Not gonna lie, that was a little embarrassing waiting in line for a tote bag.’ She also said “so many” bags were still at the store even after she bought four.
‘This was so scary,’ TikToker says after seeing people scramble for Trader Joe’s mini tote bags
While @Valeriak bought her bags easily, others were not as lucky and may have to contemplate paying the exorbitant resale prices. TikTokers @angela.cisneros and @elinorxkim shared posts on March 4 showing people running into their local stores, swarming the mini tote bags, and grabbing them in a frenzy.
“This was so scary, but I’m aware I’m a part of the problem,” @elinorxkim captioned her post.
Elinor Kim told the New York Times she bought seven bags, adding, “I wasn’t really sure what I was going to use it for, but I felt like with everyone grabbing, it made me want to get it too.”
Why Are Trader Joe’s Mini-Tote Bags Going Viral?
In one viral TikTok, a crowd of customers can be seen stampeding toward a display of mini totes and hoarding as many bags as they can get their hands on to the tune of “O Fortuna.” The TikTok user aptly captioned the video, “These mfs wildin over a mini tote bag.” Customers at a Chino Hills, California, location were recorded in another video assembling multiple totes into their shopping carts at a time. (Notably, this is not the serene environment Trader Joe’s customers have come to expect at the grocer’s many locations.) Things have apparently gotten so out of control that People even felt the need to ask the company for a statement.
“Our Mini Canvas Tote Bags certainly sold more quickly than we anticipated. Before we had the opportunity to promote them in any way, customers across the country found them at their neighborhood Trader Joe’s. “Our customers, in our stores, are our focus; we do not endorse the re-sale of any of our products, anywhere.”
We do have more Trader Joe’s Mini Canvas Tote Bags coming. Customers can expect to see them in our stores in late summer, they added.
