Leaked Photos of New Trader Joe's Mini Totes Surface as Employees Urge Fans to Stop

Shortly after Trader Joe's announced a national release date for its pastel mini tote bags for spring, rumors began to spread that the grocery chain would soon be releasing a fresh new collection of the popular item. While Trader Joe's isn't giving away any information on the release date of the striped mini canvas totes, Shannon Fong, who runs the Instagram account Trader Joe's Obsessed, claimed to have unearthed photos of the bags.

While Fong speculated that the bags would cost the usual price of $2.99, they urged their followers not to "call the stores and bother the amazing crew members." Despite this, one chimed in with a request for the influencer.

"As a crew member, please stop posting these sneak peeks," wrote a frustrated worker. "For real," replied one person. "It's exhausting," another responded.

Others questioned how she was getting info that they hadn't even received yet. One person noted that the bags in the photos looked exactly like the spring pastel mini totes -- with stripes added.

"Seriously would love to know how you get your info?" asked a baffled crew worker. "You must work at corporate office because there are no photos of these in our employee store bulletin."

However, while Trader Joe's employees may wish mini tote mania would disappear, a glance at most of the comments shows it's not happening anytime soon.

"Please let us know at the exact second you find out when they're releasing these in store!" Commented one excited fan. "Not a minute later!"

"Omg, these are gonna sell out faster than the lavender tote," another added.

Over the years, the company has rolled out several limited-edition varieties. Colors such as orange, black, purple, and green for Halloween, and adorable, comfort-food-themed bags are just a couple of the collections that have gone viral. This is due in large part to the status symbol that the bags have become.

For those who weren't able to stand in line to buy a bag, or don't live in the U.S., a pricier alternative has appeared. Mini tote bags are on resale sites like Poshmark, eBay, and Depop for staggering prices. It's clear that something has become a cultural phenomenon when paying 5 times the original price is considered a steal.

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This story was originally published April 28, 2026 at 5:04 PM.