The Trader Joes Tote Bag Is No Stanley Cup
Trader Joes' mini tote bag is one of those things that's so innocuous that when you hear that it's trending as hard as the Stanley cup, you involuntarily do an double take.
Surely, these little canvas bags that're basically just shrunken versions of LL Bean's signature Boat and Tote bag aren't actually causing micro riots, right?
Right?
In early March 2024, a miniature iteration of Trader Joes' long-available tote bag briefly became the Hot New Thing, so much so that store's stocks were drained and enterprising resellers attempted to sell a complete colorful set of four tiny totes for upwards of four figures (retail is under $4 for each).
By the end of the month, demand had at least somewhat cooled and a plethora of mini Trader Joes totes were still available on secondhand sites like Depop for under $20.
And that's the thing. The trend had all but run its course by month's end, making the Stanley cup comparisons especially odd, considering how hard that went (and continues to go).
Admittedly Trader Joes only sells its little totes in-store, so scarcity may still be a factor (I don't have it in me to visit the near-dozen or so locations near me to check, I'll admit) and the Trader Joes bags enjoy the unique appeal of becoming a trendy flex in Japan.
Maybe not all that unique, actually: though there is indeed a vibrant secondhand market for TJ bags in Japan, the same is true for reusable bags from Whole Foods, French grocery chain Monoprix, and even Cintas work clothes.
No hate to Trader Joes, of course, which will always be perhaps the single most bangin' grocery stores in the country (the zhoug sauce is absolute must-have).
But such is the nature of these kinda trends: they flare up in an instant, feel like the biggest thing ever that week, and then the world moves on.
To some, the Trader Joes bag might feel like a Stanley cup situation but, really, it's a mob wives moment.
