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heyWhat’s trendy lately East LondonJay Dix, a 25-year-old operations associate, noticed something strange: Everyone was dressed exactly like him. Every matcha-carrying creative was parading a canvas tote bag American budget grocery store Trader Joe’streat it with one’s reverence 24 karat gold lubu doll,
“I was getting nods at fellow Trader Joe’s wearers on the street in London,” says Dix. “It’s like a members’ club.” He had been collecting grocery store bags to visit family in Los Angeles since 2022 and believed he was on the cutting edge of the case. “I hate to say ‘I already knew they were good people, but now they’re all everyone has.'”
More than just a social symbol, Dix says he was drawn to the bag because of its sturdiness. He praises its capacity, sturdy handle, and attractive design. “This is an extremely quality tote bag,” she adds. “It’s perfect as an overnight bag, or for the summer when you want to pack stuff and a blanket.” The merchandise has deepened his attachment to the store even further: He calls the Trader Joe’s shopping experience “a little dream,” listing his favorite treats, including French onion soup-flavored popcorn and Key Lime Pie Chai Cookies.
This is a strange trend, as Trader Joe’s, which has more than 600 stores in 43 states, does not have a single branch in the UK. The bag craze has gone viral, with buyers paying five times the retail price to secure a bag on eBay or begging their US-bound friends to score one (or several) on their behalf. Rare bags, such as the Mini Tote Collection, have become collector’s items among TJ’s connoisseurs and sometimes sell for over $100 on eBay. The trend has extended beyond tote bags: Britons traveling to the US now arrive armed with a checklist of Trader Joe’s products and carefully tried snack pairings, compiled from blogs, Reddit threads and YouTube videos made by dedicated fans. Trader Joe’s is no longer a grocery store; This is an impressive person. So how did we get here?
Trader Joe’s appeal, at least in Britain, is a perfect storm of Internet culture and modern consumerism. Esther Kieber, a social media trends expert, tells me that the popularity of bags plays into the psychology of scarcity, when something feels special because it’s hard to get (on one side of the pond, anyway). “It gives a nice feeling of effortless, ‘I travel, I know things,'” Kieber told me. “It’s also part of a broader trend of Britons wanting a piece of American culture here. You can’t go to a store to buy it, and that makes it even more attractive.”
Tote bags are generally having a real moment. Particularly in London, the brands you associate yourself with – through the logos displayed on your cotton holdall – have become a symbol of who someone is, or who they want to be. The social subtext, broadly speaking, is as follows: If you carry a bag from the Edwardian Marylebone bookshop Dante Books, you are well-read. The New Yorker tote has a similar effect. Donating merch from UK record store Rough Trade will let everyone know you believe vinyl is king. Apparel from popular matcha shop, Blank Street, will prove you’re down Gen Z. The list is very long.
Trader Joe’s has broken into that tote bag hierarchy to offer something new. Daniel Levin, an Oregon-based consumer and trends expert, told me that the symbolism of Trader Joe’s in the UK speaks to the trend around “imported exclusivity,” which shows that you’re connected to international Internet culture. She adds, “It’s become the ultimate ‘If you know, you know accessories.'” The bag says: ‘I’m in on the American joke. I’m worldly, but in a low-key, non-flash way.'”
Founded in Monrovia, California in 1967 by the late Joe Coulombe, Trader Joe’s was initially conceived as a counter to a 7-Eleven convenience store. Inspired by Coulombe’s travels in the Caribbean and a desire to make the store stand out, the first branch in Pasadena was given a nautical theme with nautical items, including a fish net, a ship’s bell, and a boat. The staff wore Hawaiian shirts and Bermuda shorts. From there, as the years went on, Trader Joe’s dishes became more inventive, notably selling its own brand products and quirky snack options (peanut butter-filled pretzel nuggets, anyone?).
Trader Joe’s, as a brand, represents a specific version of American culture that Britons are attracted to. Levin explains that this aesthetic is more “analog and old-timey” than UK grocery stores, which try to make their logos and store experiences extra digital. He explains, “UK grocery stores appear to be locked in a constant high-tech war for loyalty with Nectar points, Clubcards and price matching.” ,businessman who There’s none of that.”
The nostalgic American aesthetic that comes with Trader Joe’s is a big part of the charm. Sophie Tighe, a strategy consultant who lives in London, said she bought her bag in 2019 because it reminded her of “Martha’s Vineyard, Cape Cod, that kind of beachy vibe.” Tighe thinks Trader Joe’s is “the best store ever” and goes there whenever she goes back to the US, after living there for a year during university. “I’ve seen a lot of people wearing them in London, but theirs are in much better condition,” she says. “Mine is very shabby.”
Be it a matter of nostalgia or aesthetics, a trend becomes global only when the subconscious human desires it. What you wear, drink, eat, or carry with you will tell the world a lot about you – and others will follow suit. “People use brands to show belonging, whether it’s part of a trend, a lifestyle or a set of values,” says Kieber. Associating yourself with a brand becomes less about the product it sells, and more about your personality.
Of course, there is only one Trader Joe’s. This kind of cult obsession seems unlikely for any other American supermarket, let alone one in the UK (I can’t imagine a group of New Yorkers walking around wearing bags from the British store, Tesco, for life). As Levin points out: “You won’t see Londoners clamoring for a Kroger or Safeway bag.”
He stops. “In fact, I could see Wegmans bags becoming the next big thing…”