Move over, burrata and budget bananas: Trader Joe’s latest fad has nothing to do with food.
On June 4, the specialty grocer released its latest accessory, which has already proven to be a viral favorite: Mini Insulated Tote Bags. The new, limited-time product features insulated walls, a zipper top, two reinforced handles and has a 1.5 gallon capacity. At $3.99 each, the colorful totes come in two hues.
“With their vivid, summer-y shades of bright Magenta and mellow Teal, we find that they’re especially great for toting cold appetizers or chilled six-packs to the beach, a pool party, or a barbeque,” the product description page reads. “That said, they’re also perfectly sized for everyday use, like as a lunchbox for school or work.”
In the description, Trader Joe’s asked its customer base to “consider yourself fairly warned: these Totes are totally destined to become the next craze!”
This stated pronounced goal is likely owing to the grocery chain’s previous successes like its limited-release regular-sized insulated bags and its Mini Canvas Totes, which were so popular they were being resold for $1,000 on resale sites including eBay.
The Scene
“Trader Joe’s is always looking for new products we think our customers will enjoy,” a representative TODAY.com.
Fan pages across the internet have already been posting excitedly about the item.
Trader Joe’s also revealed another batch of these insulated toteables will be available later this summer.
Less than a week after the new minis release, some fans have reported long lines and sold-out stores — “here we go again,” one commenter wrote on Instagram.
“I want one for my daily work lunch. I called my local TJs just to find out that people line-up at 7am each morning and buy them out before 9am (they open at 8),” wrote a disappointed fan. “I’m so sad.”
“My Trader Joe’s told me they sold out in 1.5 hours and there will be 4 more cases tomorrow,” wrote one user. Another said they were “Ever elusive in the state of New Jersey 🤣.”
“Sold out everywhere,” someone wrote in the subreddit r/traderjoes.
“When trader joe’s employees hand bags out instead of everyone running for them like animals > 😍,” wrote TikToker @amflz in a video showing a line so long it wraps around the parking lot.
Some folks were able to score their bags, and they couldn’t be happier about it.
“This is the cutest f---ing thing I’ve ever seen,” said TikTok user Lucy Fastner (@lucyfastner4) in her viral video. She said her store limited purchases to two per customer.
“lol I was casually in Trader Joe’s by accident and just grabbed one because I thought it was cute. Now I feel like I won the lottery!” read one of the comments on Fastner’s video.
“You can go on a picnic with it,” said TikToker Stefanny Alecon (@stefannyalecon) in her video.
In the few days since the item hit shelves, a few social media users reported seeing them on the resale market for more than 10 to 12 times the original price.
One listing on eBay attempts to sell a single magenta bag for $99.00. Another enterprising reseller listed a pair for $155 — making each tote more than 19 times its original price — while one Mercari seller is asking for $250 for two.
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