Trader Joe's Limited Edition Mini Tote Bags Are The Hottest New Item

There was a time not long ago when massive runs on stores for must-have products were mostly associated with children's toys, but if you've been in a Trader Joe's the past few days you know that frenzy had moved on to more adult things. Not anything salacious mind you; adult things in the "responsible," and "practical," sense, like cups and bags, have become the hottest consumer items of the past few years. The massive Stanley tumblers trend has led to people lining up overnight at Target and Starbucks, driven partially by an online influencer culture that turns every new release into a viral moment. And now that same viral consumer culture has come for Trader Joe's in the form of a mini tote bag.

The intense hunt for these tote bags started this last weekend, with Trader Joe's fan account traderjoeslist being one of the first to note their arrival on Instagram last week. The bags are simple, small totes made of canvas cloth with the Trader Joe's logo and colored handles and bottoms in four colors: blue, yellow, red, and green. Priced at only $2.99, the bag is a cute, affordable shot right at the heart of the store's tote-loving fans, and it has clearly hit its mark. Traderjoeslist felt that way, saying, "Here's another adorable example of Trader Joe's making a mini version of something we all love!" And based on what has happened since, a lot of people agree.

Influencers quickly took advantage of a golden opportunity to show off some merch, and over the last week, TikTok has seen a wave of videos of people looking for the bags or displaying their prizes. There are also videos showing packed stores, with one showing a group of people swarming a display of bags as soon as it's rolled out, and another showing shoppers stuffing multiple bags at a time into their carts. The hype has caused some Trader Joe's locations to put a limit on how many bags one person can buy according to another video, and many fans online have been lamenting that their stores have already sold out, with one person writing, "I went to my local Trader Joe's to see if they had the mini tote bag they said they got their shipment on Saturday and they sold out on Saturday!! Y'all crazy for real!"

So the question remains: As a Trader Joe's super fan, do you need this tote? Its online page for the product lists them at 13 inches long, 11 inches tall, and 6 inches wide, and says it's "ideal for smaller shopping trips." The one factor that might influence your decision is that Trader Joe's says this is a limited-time offer, although they don't give specifics on how long. Maybe those people who ran to their stores to grab one this weekend really were on to something.