The Internet is rallying against male Instacart shoppers

Male Instacart shoppers are incompetent? Who would’ve thought it? Well, apparently, a huge chunk of Instacart users have decided that’s the case and have turned to the internet to vent their frustrations.

Head to X (formerly known as Twitter), search “male Instacart shopper,” and get ready to scroll through endless outcries of grocery store ignorance and injustice.

From bizarre replacements to not bothering to search for items in the first place, male Instacart shoppers have become something of a meme.

It’s nothing new. Instacart shoppers of the male variety have been typecasted as ignorant, lazy, and downright incompetent for years. Unfortunately, many male Instacart shoppers’ poor performances continue to uphold these stereotypes.

This gender bias frequently results in frustrated Instacart users canceling their orders upon discovering a man is their designated shopper.

Is that fair? Certainly not. But let’s be clear. We aren’t just talking about dudes sauntering around supermarkets doing their personal shopping. We are talking about Instacart. And when people pay for a service that’s performed haphazardly, criticism is valid. Still, it begs the question of why so many men can’t seem to handle the finer details of Instacart shopping.

Blame gender roles for Instacart incompetence

As reported by Supermarket News from a consumer study titled Breaking Stereotypes:​ The Women Driving ​Sales in Male-Centric Categories,​ 78% of women labeled themselves as the primary shoppers in their households. Data reported by Pew Research also supports this, with U.S. women still doing more grocery shopping (and cooking) than men.

While it’s not a hard science, this could explain the male Instacart problem — at least partially. It might not be the ’50s anymore, but gender roles still persist. Even with women entering the workforce, large chunks of domestic tasks still fall on them. Grocery shopping is no exception. And while young girls are taught how to shop and cook, education in this area often takes a backseat for boys. After all, why would men learn to shop and cook if women are societally expected to do that for them?

Of course, this is a sweeping generalization, but one that shouldn’t be entirely discounted. Yes, some men cook and shop for their families and spouses, but as the data shown above, many still don’t. There lies the problem. Instacart doesn’t have any sort of aptitude test for shoppers, so men are working jobs that they might not be qualified for. On the other hand, female Instacart shoppers are frequently praised. Is it better attention to detail, or is it the result of living in a society that still upholds the sexist ideology that women are the pillars of shopping and cooking?

So, while it might be tempting to cancel your Instacart order next time you get a male shopper, think twice. Gender bias is never cool. If we want to do better, let’s start by teaching ALL kids, regardless of gender, the importance of shopping and cooking for themselves and others.