TikTok did it again. Inexplicably, users of the platform made the newly launched Trader Joe’s Canvas Tote Bags go viral. Videos featuring the bags have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times, stores have been rushed and the bags have sold out shortly after they’re stocked. Resellers on eBay are raking in the profits.
@stylebykvn Trader Joe’s Mini Tote Bags Frenzy Explained 🛒 #traderjoes #traderjoesminitotebag #totebag ♬ Waltz No. 10 / Chopin , Piano(1085818) – Noi m knot
Trader Joe’s launched their Mini Canvas Bags in February. They are the limited-edition, smaller version of their iconic Tote Bags. Like the classic, they are made of 65% cotton and 35% polyester. They also have the same long, comfortable handles. And they come in the same four landmark colors: navy, yellow, red, and forest green. The only difference is their size: 13 inches long, 11 inches wide, “ideal for smaller shopping trips, to pick up those few items you forgot the first time around,” as they say on their website.
They cost $2.99 in the stores and online. Now on eBay their price has skyrocketed to hundreds–starting from $300 and more. On Instagram, some are doing giveaways and some others, desperate to have their tote bag, went to multiple stores or even called the administration to ask for a restock, according to the New York Times.
What made them so popular, special and wanted is still unclear. Sometimes it’s just the algorithm and how marketing works–inducing the audience to want something despite not really needing it.
But it’s funny and weird seeing a tote bag taking over and entering–or better, dominating–the luxury industry.
