What began as a simple, affordable grocery bag in the United States has transformed into an unlikely international status symbol, commanding resale prices of up to $50,000 in markets from Seoul to London. The Trader Joe's canvas tote, priced at a mere $2.99 in U.S. stores, is now a coveted marker of being well-traveled, culturally aware, and part of a global conversation.
From Grocery Aisle to Global Runway
The phenomenon first caught the attention of individuals like Holly Davies, a podcast producer based in London. Davies purchased her tote for $2.99 during a trip to Washington, D.C., expecting it to be just another anonymous bag back home in the U.K. To her surprise, she began spotting the distinctive red-and-white logo across London—on the Tube, outside pubs, and on crowded streets. Each sighting sparked a moment of silent recognition and kinship among carriers, a rare connection in a bustling metropolis.
This was not an isolated trend. The bag has joined the ranks of geographically specific status carriers, similar to those from London's Daunt Books or Paris's Shakespeare and Company bookstore. With no Trader Joe's stores operating outside the United States, the bag's scarcity abroad has fueled an explosive resale market. Platforms like Depop, eBay, and Korea's Karrot market feature listings for the tote at wildly inflated prices, with some on eBay reaching a staggering $50,000.
The Psychology of Scarcity and Cultivated Identity
Experts point to deliberate scarcity as a key driver. "Trader Joe's bags represent a limitation: Trader Joe's aren't in every city and aren't on every corner," explained Michelle Gabriel, a lecturer at the Yale School of the Environment. "That already imparts a scarcity that, in a world of easy, accessible overconsumption, can be used in service of status."
This frenzy isn't limited to international shoppers. Even within the U.S., the totes sell out rapidly at stores, creating a domestic shortage that only amplifies their allure overseas. Elin Strong, a writer in Southern California, noted the bag's "effortlessly cool" appeal after seeing one on a stylish friend, but struggled to purchase one herself due to high demand.
In an investigation for the Articles of Interest newsletter in October 2025, Holly Davies explored the bag's cultural signalling. Carriers abroad often associate the tote with a liberal, cultured identity—viewing it as a symbol distanced from the "ultra-capitalist, consumerist side of the U.S." that some find unpalatable. Despite Trader Joe's being a large corporation with 618 U.S. stores, its hand-painted signage and quirky packaging foster a perception of independence and being "home-grown," making it more acceptable to a global audience.
A New American Cultural Export
The tote's journey mirrors that of other successful American cultural exports, from Supreme streetwear to the NBA. Social media strategist Jay Choyce Tibbitts, whose analysis of the bags went viral on TikTok, observes that the tote's popularity proves that "even while America is having some shaky international relations and diplomatic conflict, the country is still being discussed on a global scale and championed for its cultural exports."
The trend is vividly clear in global capitals. In Seoul, Australian designer Johanna Quinn noticed women in their 30s and 40s carrying the bags on the subway, followed by listings on Korea's Coupang app. In Melbourne, a friend requested a tote as a gift specifically to be the first to have one locally. The company itself, through public relations manager Nakia Rohde, has distanced itself from the resale phenomenon, stating it "neither condones nor supports" the practice but appreciates that customers connect with its products worldwide.
Ultimately, the story of the Trader Joe's tote is a modern tale of how perceived authenticity, strategic scarcity, and global connectivity can elevate the most ordinary item to an extraordinary symbol. For now, travelers from the U.S. continue to receive a common request from friends abroad: to bring back a piece of this quirky American icon.
