Washington Post: A tote bag is the latest must-have product

The canvas bags are miniature versions of the store’s standard totes. They’re selling out quickly, and the retailer has placed limits on how many consumers can buy at some of its stores.

While the bags are limited edition, that doesn’t fully explain why they’ve gained so much popularity, said Joshua Clarkson, PhD, the Arthur Beerman Professor of Marketing in UC’s Carl H. Lindner College of Business.

Usually high-priced luxury goods are signs of social status, but Clarkson said this seems to be an example of people democratizing status.

“So it’s almost paradoxical that these are utilitarian goods,” he said. “It has this feel that you are democratizing status in some way. People are taking everyday, relatively accessible items and creating status for them.”

Earlier this year, Clarkson offered perspective on another viral product, Stanley’s tumblers that flew off the shelves at Target stores across the nation.

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