Trader Joe’s Mini Coolers Are Back, But There’s a Catch

Haven’t had the chance to snag one of the famed Trader Joe’s mini cooler bags? Listen up: It might be your lucky day. Food items aren’t the only cheap things you should buy at TJ’s. The popular grocery chain just dropped $3.99 mini cooler bags in two Valentine-esque colors: bubblegum pink and lilac. Some folks reported seeing them in stores as early as February 4, but the mini coolers can still be found at many locations this week.

When visiting my local Trader Joe’s this weekend, I chatted with an employee who said it appeared that more mini coolers were produced for this drop to keep up with customer demand, so your chances of finding one are greater than before. Some locations, like one in Orange County California, however, sold out within the first day.

So, what’s the catch?

Besides finding a location where the mini bags are still available, customers are limited to two coolers per person. You can choose two of the same color or one of each. This limit is likely to prevent an onslaught of mini coolers resold at high prices on platforms like Mercari, Poshmark and eBay for ten times the retail price.

One customer excitedly explained to me how they missed out on the large pink cooler bag that dropped last year, so they were particularly thrilled to get a mini edition this time around.

How long will the cooler bags be available?

If you want to snag a mini cooler of your own, we suggest doing so ASAP. A Trader Joe’s employee confirmed that these are limited edition (as previous releases have been), so get ’em while they’re hot (er, cold?).