Trend Intel: Will you spend $50,000 on a Trader Joe’s tote bag?

Hey trendsetters,

By now, you’ve probably run into someone here in Manila holding a Trader Joe’s tote bag under their arm. The obvious lack of Trader Joe’s in the Philippines aside, this is such an interesting trend because something so mundane and ordinary has been hyped so much that it’s become a global phenomenon — and it’s not even the chain’s main product.

The tote bags are just Trader Joe’s side quest products — merch meant to make you take home bottles of gourmet cacio e pepe sauce or packs of ready-to-eat soup dumplings. Yet we live at a time when this $3 bag supposedly lists up to $50,000 on eBay (that’s almost P3 million!) and has become a stylish status symbol. So in this edition of Trend Intel, we’re taking a look at how these totes slap and why Filipinos are eating them up.

The tote craze

Despite being only available in select locations in the US, people from London, Berlin, Tokyo, and Manila are seeking these bags for multiple reasons. For one thing, the Trader Joe’s tote bags are built well — sturdy, roomy, and stylish.

Holding one under your arm also shows you’ve been to the US or know someone who has. Owning this tote bag means you’re part of an “IYKYK” club that’s exclusive only to people who are familiar with Trader Joe’s quirky and anti-mainstream branding.

Source: Google Trends

The bag’s global recognition was initially a slow burn. Trader Joe’s started creating reusable tote bags in the ’70s, and its shift from being a practical grocery shopping companion to a stylish icon started sometime in 2024 as part of Japan’s take on “America-core” fashion. Search interest for Trader Joe’s totes significantly rose globally between 2024 and 2025. And in 2025, its virality was in full swing, with shoppers flocking to tote bag bins with each release.

And this isn’t just about Trader Joe’s totes. Brand side quests gaining popularity isn’t a new phenomenon — think IKEA and The New Yorker tote bags. They are part of a bigger story of how merch items become cultural anchors that win loyalty from their communities beyond their core products. Starbucks planners and bear cups, anyone?

Selling merch has become a popular way for a brand to relate to its customers on a more personal level. And apart from simply slapping on a logo on a piece of bag or clothing, some brands take it up a notch by designing cool and creative merch.

Unique wearable merch as a badge of coolness

Photos from @thebestofluck888/Instagram, @lachinesca/Instagram, @kodawari.ph/Instagram taken by @mjbenitez, and @maxschicken/Instagram

Restaurants designing creative merch that people actually enjoy wearing, as BrandRap content producer Jelou Galang writes, is a sign that people’s relationships “no longer starts with the menu and ends with the bill.” Michelin-recognized Kodawari has Magic Girl-themed merch, Best of Luck has limited-edition caps and shirts, La Chinesca has its own line, and even Max’s Restaurant released a special jacket collection.

🔗 See who else is making merch here

And yes, this is exactly where I plug Rappler’s own merch. We’ve done several merch items over the years, some exclusive to events we hold on ground. There’s also Rappler’s Be The Good shirts, which were made to inspire people to hold courage, hope, and resolve in making the world a better place.

Jay Ganzon/Rappler

Our latest one is in collaboration with Linya Linya where we uphold the importance of talking about good governance and why we deserve it.

What sets Trader Joe’s tote bags apart from all the merch listed above is that we have access to these restaurants, or even IKEA, The New Yorker, and Starbucks. A Trader Joe’s opening in the Philippines is nowhere in sight, yet we Filipinos eat this trend up.

Enjoying the trend

For one thing, as a chronically online population, we’re never late in joining a trend. As soon as something interesting hits our algorithm, we’re quick to learn more and hop on what’s uso.

It’s also in our nature to bring a bit of a place we visited home as pasalubong, which is why OFWs bring back canned corned beef, soap and shampoo, snacks, and sometimes even multivitamins. So, Trader Joe’s tote bags becoming a new addition to balikbayan boxes isn’t so surprising. They’re cheap (if you buy directly), stylish, and already something we Filipinos love to use.

Filipinos have been using reusable totes in the form of bayongs since pre-colonial times. Its practical form factor is familiar and widely embraced. And I, for one, will support reusable bags over single-use packaging any day.

You won’t find an official Trader Joe’s tote bag seller anywhere outside the US, so if you want to get your hands on one, you’ll need to be creative. Or if all this tote talk has got you wanting the bag and not the brand, we’ve rounded up some of the totes we in the BrandRap team like to use.

Staff picks: Totes we totes love

“Tote bags might just be one of the most democratic items in anyone’s closet,” writes BrandRap content producer Anica Borromeo in this piece. She explains that almost everyone owns a tote bag regardless of budget and style, and that they’re used both for practical purposes and expressing one’s identity. For her, tote bags are simple items that tell about a person’s interests, potentially more than other accessories do. So she asked the team what tote bags we like to use and what it tells about our personalities.

🔗 Read our totes picks here

A show of support

Beyond hopping on a trend and lurking for limited edition drops, donning a representation of who we support is a way for us to recognize each other when we’re out on the streets. Wearing merch is a badge of coolness equivalent to a slight nod we give when we lock eyes with someone familiar.

Trader Joe’s totes show us that bags aren’t just for carrying things — they carry identity. And if you’re willing to hop on the Trader Joe’s tote bag trend, I hope you consider supporting one that hits closer to home, too.

Until the next scroll,

Julian Cirineo
BrandRap Editor

– Rappler.com