A Guardian writer joined the pre-dawn queues forming outside Trader Joe's stores in the US to buy the retailer's viral $2.99 mini striped canvas tote bags, which have become such a coveted item that resellers are charging up to hundreds of times the original price. The story matters because it illustrates how an ordinary, cheap grocery item can turn into a global status symbol, driven by intense brand loyalty that has spread well beyond the supermarket's US customer base into cities such as Seoul.

Hundreds of shoppers were found queuing outside a Santa Clarita branch near Los Angeles more than an hour before opening, many equipped with camping chairs, blankets and coffee to endure the wait. Trader Joe's canvas totes date back to 1977, but it was the mini version, which went viral on TikTok after launching in 2024, that sparked the current frenzy, with new patterns released periodically since. Contrary to the writer's expectations of meeting collectors or resellers, most people interviewed said they were queuing to buy the bags as gifts for partners, friends, colleagues or relatives abroad.