Supermarket carrier bags, once given away for free, are now being sold on secondhand sites such as eBay, Vinted, and Depop for around £10. This includes vintage bags from retailers like Marks & Spencer, Tesco, Netto, and Waitrose.
Vinted has reported a 35% increase in searches for these items in 2026 compared to last year. This trend is seen by some as part of a wider move towards collecting tangible, nostalgic items.
The M&S St Michael bag, prominent in the 1980s and 1990s, is particularly sought after. M&S is also launching a collaboration with streetwear label Aries on 20 August, which will feature a £90 leather tote bag designed to look like an old St Michael carrier.
Tim Sumner, who founded the Paper Bag Archive in 2020 and possesses over 3,500 old paper bags and some plastic ones, describes these bags as "great symbols of social history." He notes that older bags often appear sturdier than current ones, though those made after 2000 may degrade faster.