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For the second year in a row, Trader Joe\u2019s has brought a Black Friday-like frenzy to its stores. But instead of lining up for a new video game console or Taylor Swift vinyl, customers are waiting their turn to buy miniature tote bags bearing the grocery chain\u2019s logo for $2.99.<\/p>\n
Some people camped out in front of stores hours before they opened, while others sent friends to grab the exclusive item for them. On a few occasions, people appeared to wrestle or get into physical altercations over the 11-by-13-inch canvas bags, videos on social media showed.<\/p>\n
Kevin Burgoon, an employee at a Trader Joe\u2019s in Sacramento, said the first customer lined up at 5 a.m. on Tuesday. By the time the store opened three hours later, he estimated that more than 150 people were waiting. The bags, offered in four pastel color schemes, sold out within 15 minutes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cI just thought it was crazy,\u201d Mr. Burgoon said, adding that people called the store \u201cnonstop\u201d that morning to see if the bags were still in stock.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
The scramble began a year ago when, without much notice, Trader Joe\u2019s released its<\/a> first series of limited-edition totes, essentially smaller versions of the reusable canvas bags that the chain has sold for years. The totes became a trendy accessory, and a rush to get them ensued. This year, there was a bit more warning and stores were prepared for the chaos.<\/p>\n At Trader Joe\u2019s stores in Brooklyn and Manhattan, extra security was present, and a few stores placed the bags behind the registers. Almost every store restricted shoppers to a certain number of bags, though the limit varied by location.<\/p>\n These smaller bags aren\u2019t big enough to carry groceries, but some use them as purses or lunch bags. A few fans said they added personal touches \u2014 applying patches to the totes, for example, or Bedazzling them. One X user used the bag to transport a bowling ball<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Last year, the demand for the bags led people to resell them at steep prices. On Wednesday, a few of the new bags were already listed for up to $70 on eBay.<\/p>\n