Trader Joe's $3 Mini Tote Bags Are Back & More Viral Than The OGs
People are lining up around the block for the spring-ified pastel collection.
Nothing beats snagging a great Trader Joe’s haul. From its delectable cauliflower jalapeño dip to the fan-fave Everything But the Bagel Seasoning, TJs snacks and add-ons are everything. And what better way to bring them all home than with one of the brand’s coveted mini totes?
The classic Trader Joe’s canvas bag, which you can find online for ~$14, has long been a staple at the grocery chain, as it’s equal parts eco-friendly and heavy-duty. Then the $2.99 Mini Canvas Tote Bags, aka “tote-lets,” came along in March 2024 and completely stole the show. Sure, plenty of people still use the standard reusable shopping option, but the red, yellow, blue, and green tote-lets — which “are ideal for smaller shopping trips,” according to the brand — were *so* cute, they quickly became viral sensations on TikTok and sold out across TJs everywhere.
As of April 8, 2025, a new collection of the same silhouette became available, and it’s been sending TikTokers into an even bigger frenzy. Trader Joe’s Pastel Mini Canvas Tote Bags come in the following spring-ified colors: delicate pink, baby blue, mint green, and lovely lavender, making them perfect for Easter — but they come at a cost.
The Pastel Offerings May Not Come Easy
Though the minis retail for a mere $2.99 at all Trader Joe’s locations, there are a few caveats. For starters, you may have to wake up early to get them, as many lines have been “record-breakingly long” since the bags were released. According to TikTok user @eatsbyrachel, she saw people camped outside with “parasols, foldable chairs, and even cute dogs keeping their owners company” when she showed up an hour before her local TJs in the San Francisco Bay Area opened.
There may also be limits to how many you could purchase, with most TikTokers saying their location limited each person to one of each color (so four bags, max).
The luckiest customers had free samples delivered to them while they waited in line before store workers came out to hand them totes for purchase. “Once they started handing out the bags, it was a smooth and organized process,” @eatsbyrachel said.
Others didn’t get the same treatment. In one video posted by TikTok user @erica_grace1, who’s also from the San Francisco Bay Area, you could see customers practically climbing on top of each other to pull the viral items out of a box — sometimes, even out of each other’s hands. The footage was captioned, “I did not think I was going to fight grown women at 8:00 a.m.”
Will Trader Joe's Pastel Mini Tote Bags Restock?
Since there have been instances of the tote-lets selling out in as little as six minutes, a lot have questioned whether they lost their chance at getting their hands on one of the bags, especially since it’s a limited-time product. Fortunately, you don’t have to lose hope just yet. “Our stores receive deliveries daily, and they will be restocked daily for as long as they are available,” a Trader Joe’s spokesperson tells Elite Daily.
Still, the retailer could not provide the exact date when its locations would stop selling the bags, noting that “each store sets its own merchandising plan,” so if you want them, it’s best to hit up your local TJs ASAP.
Resale Listings Are $$$
One surefire way to guarantee yourself a bag is to purchase them on a resale site — for a *huge* upcharge. On eBay, you could find sellers trying to auction off the bags for $1,600 (and that’s for a listing that has interested buyers; someone’s actually trying to sell one of the mint minis for $49,890).
Paying $1,600 for what should be a $3 item doesn’t exactly seem worth it. But, hey, if you really want to girl math it, look at it this way: Use the tote at Trader Joe’s 533 times, then that’s about $3 per shopping trip.
