They will come back: Trader Joe's mini handbags are long gone — another casualty of viral shopping — but vendors are still selling them online.
The $2.99 compact tote bags sold out quickly last week after becoming an unexpected must-buy. On Tuesday afternoon, a set of four mini bags was priced at $469 on eBay, and a similar canvas quartet was up for sale on Poshmark for $300. Founded in 1967 in Monrovia, California, the national grocery store chain is known for its everyday prices and specialty products, but accessories are not standard fare. The canvas bags were stamped Trader Joe's bag and were offered with handles in red, blue, yellow, or dark green. It is worth noting that this style is derived from LL Bean's large handbags.
Despite the hysteria over what is considered a reusable staple — something that could easily be replicated except for the Trader Joe's logo — the retail chain doesn't plan to stock more tote bags until “late summer,” according to public relations director Nakia Rudd. , who declined to be more specific about timing or how many mini bags have been sold so far.
“Our little canvas bags definitely sold out faster than we expected. Before we had a chance to promote them in any way, customers all over the country found them at their neighborhood Trader Joe's,” she said via email.
Some first looked at the tote bags via TikTok, where videos of in-store displays were watched over and over again. Despite in-store sales, enthusiasm for the handbags has been building in recent days with major media outlets covering the interest. As for the resale of small handbags, Trader Joe's' Rod said, “Our customers in our stores are our focus; we do not endorse the resale of any of our products anywhere.”
Whatever small bags are today, the first LL Bean boat and bag dates back to 1944. It was created as an “LL Bean Ice Carrier” for homeowners to transport blocks of ice home from the dispenser, then store them. In a separate ice chest as an alternative to overfreeze freezers. Made from a double-layer base and the same material used at the time for conveyor belts, the original bag was tested to hold up to 500 pounds. L.L. Bean's boats and bags were the No. 1 driver of customer growth in 2023. Additionally, in January of this year, boats and bags sales increased 35 percent compared to the same sales period last year, a company spokesperson said Tuesday.
Gucci Men's Fall 2020, Puppets and Puppets Spring 2020, Khaite Spring 2020, Vaquera Spring 2020, and Prada Men's Fall 2020 collection were featured, along with an LL Bean bag, a Prada headband, and Belgian shoes.
Giovanni Giannone, Ovidio Hrubaru, Masato Onoda/WWD
LL Bean realizes how social media can boost tote handbag sales, having seen a spike in demand for its iconic monogram styles in the summer of 2022.
In a new twist on the food and fashion exchange, Balenciaga is mocking a grocery store snack and selling it at a higher price. Balenciaga's $1,750 men's calfskin potato chip bag is imprinted, in block letters, with the phrase “big packet of salt and vinegar” and is available for pre-order through Bergdorf Goodman's website.
“Beer fan. Travel specialist. Amateur alcohol scholar. Bacon trailblazer. Music fanatic.”