No matter what your job is, at some point, you’re going to run into some truly hilarious and bizarre situations that you’ll want to share with your coworkers. And the people working at ‘Instacart,’ a well-known grocery delivery company, are no exception.
That’s where the r/InstacartShoppers subreddit comes in. It’s a popular online community that invites folks to share their experiences working at the company, with all of its ups and downs. We’ve collected some of their more amusing moments to share with you, Pandas. Scroll down to check them out.
Marketing psychology speaker and the host of the branding and human nature blogs, Matt Johnson, Ph.D., kindly answered Bored Panda’s questions about how newcomers can stand up against grocery delivery whales, and whether there’s any advantage to shopping in person anymore. Spoiler warning: there are quite a few! Scroll down for our full interview with the expert.
#1 So I Had A First Today. Take The First Load To The Customer’s Door And Come Back For Another And There’s A Damn Goat In My Trunk Investigating Things
Image credits: BSBHVR2
According to marketing psychology speaker Johnson, grocery stores are in a difficult spot due to how inflation continues to impact consumer spending on essential items. “However, despite the increasing popularity of grocery deliveries for their convenience, there are still several potential advantages to shopping for groceries in person for the average American,” he told Bored Panda via email.
“One key advantage is the ability to personally select fresh produce, meat, and other perishable items, ensuring they meet specific preferences for ripeness, quality, and expiration dates. Additionally, shopping in person allows for greater control over the selection process, enabling shoppers to compare prices, explore new products, and take advantage of in-store promotions and discounts,” Johnson said.
#2 That’s A New One
Image credits: RingIndustries
#3 First Batch Of The Morning… 30 Pineapples
Image credits: justsomeone19
“Moreover, shopping in person can provide a sensory experience that online shopping cannot replicate, such as the ability to smell and touch products, which can enhance the overall shopping experience and potentially lead to more satisfying purchases. Lastly, for some individuals, especially those without reliable internet access or who prefer face-to-face interactions, shopping in person may be a more accessible and social experience.”
Johnson noted that it is difficult for newcomers to stand out in the “fiercely competitive” grocery delivery business. “Since Amazon is already an established player, trying to compete on convenience and variety is not a viable option. Instead, newcomers can stand out by focusing on niche markets or specialized products: you don’t need to be the best for everything, but, especially in the beginning, you need to be the best at something,” he explained to us.
#4 When The Customer Stares While You Deliver
Image credits: Ok_Cheetah_5114
#5 Wrong Item My A**
Golden Retriever? More like Golden DECEIVER, amirite?
Image credits: snaptcarrot
#6 Well Damn Kimmy
Image credits: Charlieee26_
“Newcomers can also leverage their relationships with local producers or farmers for fresh and sustainable products, which larger, existing players often overlook. Given the maturity of the market and the strength of existing players, newcomers face an uphill battle, but by going niche—either through their offerings or through their local relationships—new entrants may be able to carve out a distinctive position in the market and attract a loyal customer base.” For more in-depth insights about human psychology, feel free to read Johnson’s branding and human nature blogs.
#7 Nice Extra Tip Last Night!
Image credits: shrupp
#8 Kelly Likes Her Job A Lil Too Much
Image credits: Dsg1695
#9 Weirdest Comment I’ve Ever Received
Image credits: blargnblah
The ‘Instacart Shoppers’ online community currently has 164k members. Many of them have lots of stories—from good and funny to bad and downright weird—to share about working at the company. Many of them feature peculiar customer behavior or requests. The subreddit is a window into what life as a shopper can actually be like.
‘Instacart’ was founded way back in June 2012. Over the course of a decade, the San Francisco-based grocery delivery and pick-up service has become well-established in the United States and Canada. The idea behind the service is that personal shoppers get all the goods the customers order from the participating retail shops.
#10 These Customers
Image credits: sailorKR00ace
#11 Tips Pay The Bills But This
Image credits: 2sp00ked4u
#12 Found Kittens While Shopping
Image credits: reddit.com
At the time of writing, ‘Instacart’ has partnerships with 1,400 retail banners with 80,000 stores. In 2022 alone, the company fulfilled a jaw-dropping 262.6 million orders worth $28.8 billion. The average customer order was worth around $110. With so much revenue, it’s no wonder that the company has been expanding.
‘Instacart’ has been gobbling up many different e-commerce-related companies in recent years. These include white-label grocer platform ‘Unata’ in 2018 for $65 million, smart cart and checkout company ‘Caper AI’ in 2021 for $350 million, AI pricing platform ‘Eversight’ in 2022, as well as e-commerce platform ‘Rosie’ in the same year.
#13 One Of The Few Customers To Make Me Laugh
Image credits: reddit.com
#14 The Door On This Customers House
Image credits: seabaugh
#15 How Am I Gonna Fit This Into A Toyota Camry?
Image credits: AceonPiano
Grocery delivery services have become absolutely massive in recent years. It’s safe to say that they’re now mainstream in many parts of the world, not just in developed nations but in emerging economies, too. According to Statista, 60% of respondents from India said that they used grocery deliveries.
#16 Looking Back On This Still Makes Me Laugh
Image credits: ehhchi
#17 Slow Day But Great Customers
Image credits: FunkoDude
#18 This Dog Wouldn’t Let Me Stage The Items Lol
Image credits: kmalmrose
Meanwhile, according to data collected by Statista, 52% of people living in Mexico and South Korea also use grocery delivery services. Brits are huge on deliveries, as well! A whopping 49% now order groceries. Meanwhile, around 40% of Americans do the same. However, Japan and Switzerland are among the developed nations that still haven’t embraced this shift in shopping. Only 20% and 10% of respondents, respectively, said they use these sorts of services.
#19 Customer Thought I Was Gonna Ruin My Car For $14
Image credits: number1smussyf4n
#20 The Only Type Of Customer I Like Meeting Me At The Door
Image credits: fossa_97
#21 Instacart Support Is So Good
Image credits: AntObvious9168
It’s expected that food and beverage retail e-commerce revenue will exceed $47 billion in the US alone in 2025. Aside from ‘Instacart,’ Americans mainly rely on ‘Kroger,’ ‘Walmart,’ ‘HelloFresh,’ and ‘Amazon.’
“Despite the blaring success of grocery retailers in the online sector, they face the growing competition of new players delivering meal kits and ready meals. The food service platform Instacart was the most visited groceries website in May 2022, accounting for over eight percent of web traffic,” Statista reports on the rise of ‘Instacart.’
#22 Already Had All The Groceries In The Car
Image credits: reddit.com
#23 Cancelled Order With iPad
The customer canceled their order as soon as I pulled into their community. Costco only gives store credit cards as returns. I hate looking sketchy while returning these types of items.
Image credits: Ok-Mycologist7205
#24 Instacart Shopper Being Weird With My Girl
Image credits: Kase215
For most people, the main upside of getting their groceries delivered, as opposed to shopping in person at their local retailers, is saving time. Something else that customers value is that they can avoid making impulse purchases because they’re ordering everything online in advance.
#25 $400 Alcohol Disposal
Image credits: Poverty_beans
#26 How Do You Set Up At The Drop Off ?
Image credits: Jsoto022220
#27 I Was Struggling To Pay Rent And This Happened
Image credits: hippy_chad
What’s your relationship with grocery deliveries like, dear Pandas? Do you prefer to order your groceries online, or do you like going to stores in person? Do you think that we’re all going to become more and more reliant on deliveries in the future? Share your thoughts in the comments!
#28 I Try Not To Judge Others Too Harshly But Come On
Image credits: anonnemous
#29 Saw This Guy A Few Doors Down From My Delivery
Image credits: Key_Gate_4216
#30 Got Tip Baited For The First Time Ever
Image credits: No_Resolve_8339
#31 I Received No Help, But I Did Receive This
Image credits: fv1021
#32 How Do I Make Sure She Gets The Free One??
Image credits: redflower5
#33 I Drew Up A “Thank You” Card For My Customers
Image credits: MarmieMakes
#34 Best Day Ever!!
Image credits: christchild705
#35 This Is F**kin Crazy
Image credits: Ok_Load4298
#36 Im So Dizzy & I Almost Had An Accident
Image credits: chicabombastic
#37 Used To Be A Shopper
Image credits: nudes-bot
#38 Rough Day
Image credits: jroberson1991
#39 I Want U Guys To See This
Image credits: Pleasant_Barracuda47
#40 Trapped In Customer’s Vestibule
Image credits: Mundane_Confection_6
#41 Best Delivery Pic Ever!
Image credits: gaybirdnerd55
#42 Had A Delivery That Was Just 4 20lb Cat Food Bags This Morning, And Upon Arrival
Image credits: thegabe101
#43 Okay Who Brought Her 4 Lbs Of Jalapeños?
Image credits: etherealoddity
#44 Well There Goes My Tip
Image credits: flailinguntoblivion
#45 Met These Characters On A Delivery Today
Image credits: SquarePeg37
#46 Poor Dog
Image credits: Yuri_Ligotme
#47 I Couldn’t Believe My Eyes!!!
Image credits: vannbabu
#48 Customer Left An Envelope With My Name On It
Image credits: Whats_Up4444
#49 Rude Customer Gets Equal Treatment
Image credits: reddit.com
#50 Don’t Be That Guy Please
Image credits: Slushy69420
#51 I Thought They Were Chips
Image credits: yanathebarista
#52 Is My Shopper Trying To Scam Me Right Now?
I have a order being shopped right now. There’s something on the bottom called “Life Goods” for $149 that I know for 100% fact that I did not order. I asked my shopper what it is and that I didn’t order it and to remove it, and am getting no response
Image credits: Boldest19
#53 Instacart Shopper Didn’t Want To Get Out And Walk
Image credits: Charming-Copy3307
#54 This Is A Hot Mess…
Image credits: SnooSquirrels6518
#55 The Way I Screamed Whaaattt When I Saw This Order
Image credits: jmhungate
#56 The Shopper Never Came Back For The Groceries
Image credits: Sweetie574
#57 Lmao This Was A Nice Surprise
Image credits: reddit.com
#58 I’m Sad Wanted To Give Back And Was Ignored
I’ve had to Instacart shop for living and recently got a good job. I wanted to give back to other shoppers so I did a grocery order while I’m at the beach for a festival. I gave a good tip and was waiting with a thank you bag with snacks and a Java monster. The driver wouldn’t answer the whole order and when it said delivered I asked where and no response. Turns out they left the order in the lobby even tho I had hand to customer on… oh well next time
Image credits: DeathUnicornIRL
#59 “They’re Out Of The Green Celery”
Image credits: agarcia900
#60 Note Left On My Car From Other Shoppers
Image credits: Individual-Cress5472
#61 I Couldn’t Believe It. Someone Took This For $31
Image credits: Equal_Adeptness_2445
#62 I Delivered To This Apartment Today
Image credits: JojoTheMutt
#63 Almost Blind Accepted It
Image credits: Qeorgie
#64 Customer Dog Attacked Car During Delivery
Image credits: CommercialCurrent918
#65 What In The Actual F**k?
Image credits: KairoArturo