These viral $2.99 Trader Joe’s tote bags are being resold for as much as $500 on eBay
By Eva Rothenberg, CNN
New York (CNN) — A Trader Joe’s canvas mini tote bag that costs about the same as a pack of gum is being resold online for nearly 200 times its retail price.
The Trader Joe’s bags, available in blue, red, green and yellow, have taken social media by storm in the past week, garnering more than 11 million views on Tik Tok. Although some stores have reportedly been placing limits on the amount people are able to buy at one time, customers have been flocking to stores across the country and snatching up as many of the $2.99 bags as they can, according to store employees.
Some have been reselling the bags on e-commerce platforms like eBay and Facebook Marketplace. As of Sunday afternoon, hundreds of mini tote bags have been posted on eBay with prices ranging from $5 to $500.
“As a seller, it just came naturally that I thought these would sell,” said one eBay user who is selling four tote bags in all available colors for $145 or best offer. They have already sold eight, and have one left in their store, according to their page. “I believe these were limited production,” the seller added.
According to the page of another seller, who is offering a set of four bags for $499.99 or best offer, one set has been sold and two more remain.
It’s unclear whether these bags have actually been sold at their advertised price point, since eBay users can bid below the starting offer.
One Iowa-based store employee told CNN the bags were only available for a week before they sold out, with the next shipment not expected until September.
Another employee at a New Jersey location said the customer craze started about two weeks ago, and that some holiday-minded shoppers are buying them ahead of time. “Customers love it. They’re buying a lot,” she said. “Easter is coming up and they make great baskets for kids.”
The viral scenes at Trader Joe’s stores are reminiscent of the Stanley cup chaos last year: In December, Target introduced a limited-edition Valentine’s Day collection of Stanley tumblers. Shoppers jumped on the items, in some cases quite literally. The proof was documented in TikTok videos that showed people lining up outside Target stores waiting to rush in to grab the items. Stanley has since reworked its product launches to make them less chaotic.
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CNN’s Parija Kavilanz contributed reporting.
