Instacart – Weekly Recap

Instacart is a leading U.S. grocery technology and delivery platform, and this weekly recap highlights how the company is increasingly leveraging its transaction data and retail media capabilities to deepen partnerships with retailers and consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands. Over the past week, Instacart released new data-driven reports that showcase both consumer behavior around major events and evolving category trends, reinforcing its positioning as a data and advertising partner rather than solely a delivery marketplace.

Instacart published its 2026 Snacktime Report, using purchase data tied to the “Big Game” to analyze U.S. snacking behavior. The report highlighted pronounced spikes in demand for tortilla chips, salsas, and shelf-stable dips over the event weekend, along with a 201% surge in Buffalo sauce orders, typically paired with ranch dressing, chicken wings, blue cheese dressing, and hot sauce. The analysis also underscored regional differences in preferences: queso dominates in the West and Upper Midwest, chicken wings are particularly popular across the Midwest and Northeast, and Buffalo sauce shows exceptional strength in New York. Instacart is using these insights to collaborate with CPG companies and retailers on targeted, event-based promotions designed to reach game-day shoppers more effectively.

In an earlier update, Instacart shared insights ahead of National Hot Sauce Day, detailing U.S. purchasing trends for hot sauce and broader spicy food categories. The company identified Frank’s RedHot as the top hot sauce nationally, followed by Huy Fong Foods, Taco Bell, Cholula, and Texas Pete, and noted strong regional brands such as Louisiana Brand in the South, Tapatío in California, and Texas Pete in the Carolinas. Instacart’s data also pointed to growing consumer interest in spice across adjacent categories including mayonnaise, chips, canned fish, cheese, and frozen meals, suggesting that demand for spicy flavors is broad-based across multiple grocery segments.

Instacart also highlighted its “75 Fastest-Growing Brands” on the platform, featuring CPG firms that have achieved strong sales momentum, in part through Instacart Ads. These brands span clean-ingredient snacks, wellness-focused products, and premium frozen meals, and serve as examples of how digital advertising on Instacart can drive awareness, acquisition, and repeat purchasing. The company reiterated its commitment to enhancing its advertising and retail media tools to support brand growth.

Collectively, these developments emphasize Instacart’s evolution into a data-rich retail media and insights platform. By monetizing granular transaction data through trend reports and enabling performance-based ad solutions, Instacart is reinforcing higher-margin revenue streams and strengthening its value proposition to CPG partners and retailers. This strategy may contribute to more diversified revenue beyond delivery fees, improved unit economics, and a more defensible competitive position in both online grocery and the broader retail media landscape. Overall, the week underscored Instacart’s strategic focus on analytics, targeted advertising, and category-level insights as important pillars of its future growth prospects.