Woman Criticizes Male Instacart Shopper for Poor Service, Starts Debate About Gig Work

Ally Perry • Writer and Editor

May 18, 2023 12:00 PM EDT

Everybody gets lazy sometimes. The gig economy may be flawed, but its promise of convenience is tempting — especially at the thought of ending a long workday with a grocery shop. There are also legitimate reasons why many rely on app-based services, such as having a disability. Surely, though, these people in need should not have to pay a premium to get the necessary support? And maybe everyone else should admit that they're capable of something that was a normal household chore until not too long ago?

Instacart is an app with a shaky reputation on social media, thanks to frequent bad reviews of its shoppers. Many customers have reported on missed items and wildly inappropriate substitutions in their groceries, often when they are assigned a shopper who is male.

This discussion was ignited again recently when a Twitter user shared an exchange she had on the app. The man claimed that he couldn't find Schweppes ginger ale, yet he sent her a picture of a shelf stocked with that exact product. Posting the texts along with the claim that we should 'defund' male Instacart shoppers, many people were amused and angry at this apparent lack of common sense. However, others pointed out that he could be working under conditions that facilitate this kind of extreme dumbness.

There is no question that the mistake was stupid. The fact that it was a man doing it might been a contributing factor, too (we know that the man baby phenomenon isn't going anywhere anytime soon). Still, there is something icky about the eagerness to dunk on someone working with poor pay and poorer conditions for our own comfort. It's your grocery list, not theirs.