Trader Joe’s stores have a reputation for getting crowded at the best of times, but if you’re planning to make a stop there in the next few days, beware: The brand just released a Halloween version of its mini tote bags, and they already went viral twice for creating in-store traffic jams.
The bags, which come in combinations of black, orange, purple, and green, cost just $2.99 each, and they dropped in stores on October 8. They’re a tiny version of Trader Joe’s classic reusable tote bags, measuring just 13-by-11-by-6 inches—about the size of an iPad. This is the third time that Trader Joe’s has released a new version of the bags, which have proven to be a desirable fan favorite (to put it mildly).
When Trader Joe’s first debuted the mini tote in March 2024, social media exploded with videos of shoppers lining up to grab the product, with many shoppers piling their carts with every available colorway. The story was similar in April 2025, when Trader Joe’s announced a pastel line of totes. If eBay sellers are to be believed, these bag designs have become full-on collector’s items, with sets of the previous drops selling for over $100 on the site.
Despite the fact that the new Halloween bags just dropped this morning, all signs indicate that Trader Joe’s shoppers are in for another round of mini tote fervor. Already, several TikToks show crowds lining up for the bags. One Trader Joe’s employee shared an unboxing video of the bags, encouraging shoppers to get one of their own. Another customer has already decked out her new bags with color-coordinated Labubus. On eBay, sets of the Halloween bags are retailing for over $50.
“It’s 6:49 a.m. and I’m on my way to Trader Joe’s,” one TikToker shared. “If I don’t get these Halloween tote bags, I’m gonna have a fit.”
Why is everyone so obsessed with the Trader Joe’s mini tote?
It’s possible that the mini tote craze is related to the increasing size of the reusable bag market, which is expanding in part due to plastic bag bans (eight states ban single-use plastic bags, and cities including New York and Washington, D.C., charge fees for their use). But the more likely reason for the trend is simpler: Within our current stage of consumer capitalism, niche accessories are having a moment.
In August, Fast Company wrote about the rise of the “meta-accessory,” a kind of accessory mainly designed to complement another accessory. That includes items like a lip gloss phone case, a Stanley water bottle backpack, a $1,000 bag charm, and a Labubu for a Labubu. All of these pieces serve minimal utilitarian purposes, and seem mainly geared toward convincing consumers that they need to make yet another little purchase.
At Trader Joe’s, the mini tote is like a tote bag for your regular tote bag—and, clearly, shoppers can’t get enough.
