咖啡店为什么开始卖包？

A small bag costing less than three dollars — someone actually listed it online for fifty thousand dollars.

In the United States, there is a supermarket called Trader Joe's.

On September 30th, this store sold a special Halloween-edition cloth bag.

One bag cost two dollars and ninety-nine cents. It was very small — about the size of a tablet computer.

Because so many people were buying them, some stores had to set a rule: each person could buy only a few at most.

Online, this bag that cost less than three dollars was listed by some people at twenty dollars, and some even listed it at fifty thousand dollars.

Fifty thousand dollars is just the asking price — it doesn't mean someone will actually buy it.

But this shows that in people's minds, this kind of bag is no longer just a bag.

To make a cloth bag, if you make a huge number of them, the cost of one might be less than one dollar.

But when a person carries this bag out the door, walks down the street, takes the subway, goes to the supermarket, many people will see this bag.

The store's name is printed on the bag, so the people who see it will learn about this store.

It's like a walking advertisement — and this advertisement doesn't cost much money.

For example, there is a very famous bookstore called Daunt Books, and there is also a bookstore in Paris called Shakespeare and Company.

The cloth bags they sell are popular among many people who love reading.

The third reason is that the buyers have their own ideas too.

For many shoppers, a store's bag can also express their own tastes.

Especially after the pandemic, many people are more willing to support small shops near their homes.

Buying a bag is telling others: I'm a customer of this store, and I like it here.

There is another reason, and it has to do with young people.

There is a teacher at New York University named Jared Watson. He studies the psychology of people when they shop.

He says today's young people, especially the generation that grew up online, want even more to express themselves through clothes and accessories.

They want even more to use the things they've used and the places they've been to tell others: who I am, and what I like.

In the past, people might show themselves off with very expensive watches or brand-name clothes.

Now, many people feel that wearing a brand-name item everyone has makes you nothing special.

They would rather carry a bag that only certain people know about — like a bag from a small bookstore, or a bag from a small coffee shop.

There is a person who does brand consulting, named Connor Archbold. He says that in the past people used price tags to show their status, but now what matters more is taste and a sense of belonging.

In other words, which small circle you belong to, what you understand, what you like — these have become more important.

There is another very interesting point: although this kind of bag is meant to make a person look special, it can also help people find friends.

Now in Western countries, about half of all people don't join any group, don't go to church, and don't join sports clubs.

Many people feel lonely.

At times like this, if you carry a bag that few people know about and run into another person carrying the same bag, you might glance at each other, smile, and even chat a bit.

It's like two little fish in a big pond finding each other.

So this kind of bag is a signal, telling others: we're together.

Finally, there is another new trend: individuals can now make their own "merch."

For example, there is a website called Etsy, where people can make their own designed cups, matches, and T-shirts.

Some people, when they get married or celebrate a birthday, will make a batch of items printed with their own names or designs and give them to the guests who come.

This year, a very famous magazine called Architectural Digest wrote an article asking: should your home also have its own merch?

Because people today value experiences and memories more and more, things that help people remember a place or a gathering have become more and more valuable.

Think about it: if your favorite coffee shop started selling bags, which one would you buy?