It’s a known fact that Trader Joe’s has no shortage of cult-favorite store items. There’s its rendition of Takis, better known as Chili & Lime Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips. There’s its Two-Buck Chuck, a line of cheap yet robust Charles Shaw brand wines. And there’s its mini tote bag, the latest Trader Joe’s product to go viral across social media.
Back in February, the California-based retailer sent the internet into a frenzy over its limited-edition totes, which are a miniature version of the classic Canvas Bags. Similar to the Stanley Cup craze, Trader Joe’s totes are the “latest mundane item to suddenly become all the rage,” wrote Business Insider’s Emily Stewart. Video footage posted online showed crazed (and relentless) shoppers storming into their local Trader Joe's and hoarding as many bags as possible. In several Trader Joe’s locations, the demand for the totes was so high that store employees had to place limits on how many bags consumers could purchase. Not everyone was lucky enough to get their hands on the lucrative totes as they sold out almost immediately.
Naturally, Trader Joe’s mini tote found its way into the resale market, where eager sellers hiked up the bag's price by hundreds of dollars. The bag, originally priced $2.99 each, went for $999.99, according to a now-defunct listing on eBay. Another old listing showed the bag on sale for a whopping $280. On Instagram, a few Trader Joe’s fans hosted tote bag giveaways for those looking to get their hands on the season’s hottest accessory.
Clearly, consumers still can’t get enough of the mini tote bags because last month, Trader Joe’s relaunched its bags, once again for a limited time only. They are available for the same price and in the same four colors: red, blue, green and yellow.
As of recently, Trader Joe’s isn’t the only food brand to release their own, unique mini totes. Cheez-It, the popular brand of cheese crackers, also hopped on the mini tote bandwagon with its aptly named Mini Cheez-Tote. Per a description for the tote, “The limited-edition Cheez-It® Mini Cheez-Tote is the ultimate fashion staple, blending style and convenience so you can carry your favorite 100% real cheese snack wherever you go."
Cheez-It’s tote is also simple in design. Each bag is made of light-colored canvas with the words “Tote It Cheez-It” embossed on a yellow square that resembles an actual Cheez-It cracker. The totes come with a “perfectly fitting, rare mini box of Cheez-It® crackers — because your favorite snack deserves to travel in style,” according to the brand.
The totes retailed for $7.99 each. They are currently out of stock.
Cheez-It’s tote received five star reviews, albeit from just two customers: “KD” and “Extra Toasty.” They both claimed that the bag is a “MUST HAVE” (yes, in all caps) and “a necessary item.”
“Have you ever wondered what to buy someone who has everything? Well folks, this is the item they don't have. I don't even have it. They never made enough. It's the unicorn of totes. Wanted by thousands but elusive,” Extra Toasty wrote in their review for the tote, which they weren’t able to get in time.
“Want to be the envy of all? Want your friends and coworkers to be jealous? This is the IT item of Fall 2024.”
Following Trader Joe’s success with their mini totes, it’s no surprise why Cheeze-It also tried their hand at launching their own bag, which enjoyed similar successes. Much of the hype behind these mini totes stems from the fact they are hard to attain. The key buzz term used by both Trader Joe’s and Cheeze-It is “limited edition,” which intensifies consumers’ desire to seek out the bags. So much so, that some will even go out of their way to spend hundreds of dollars just to have the bags in their possession.
The mini totes have also attained a similar social status as luxury items. There’s an unspoken exclusivity factor that comments on who can (and can’t) afford the bags.
"So it’s almost paradoxical that these are utilitarian goods," Josh Clarkson, a professor of marketing at the University of Cincinnati, told The Washington Post. "It has this feel that you are democratizing status in some way. People are taking everyday, relatively accessible items and creating status for them."
As for why mini totes — in particular — are all the craze right now, it's because they're aesthetic and unique. The bags aren’t particularly revered for their functionality. Unlike a regular-sized canvas bag, the mini totes won’t be able to hold a week's or month's-long haul of groceries. Instead, they’re revered as a fashion handbag — a fun little accessory. The totes are perfect for everyday use, “whether you’re heading to a game or running errands,” Cheeze-It said of its totes.
On TikTok, several consumers personalized their mini totes with embroidery, drawings and decor. “The Trader Joe’s mini tote is cool and all,” said one creator. “But do you wanna know what’s even better? Embroidered Trader Joe’s tote!” Another altered the Trader Joe’s logo to read “Trader Hoe’s.”
Indeed, there’s a real hunger for mini tote bags. Will other food brands also hop on the trend soon? It certainly wouldn’t be shocking but for now, only time will tell.
