Instacart has rolled out a feature letting customers set ripeness preferences for produce before their order is picked, a direct response to one of the most common friction points in online grocery shopping. The announcement comes as U.S. grocery e-commerce has sustained more than 20% year-over-year growth for six consecutive quarters through Q1 2026, according to Brick Meets Click data.
For produce specifically, ripeness and quality perception have long been cited as the top barriers to online purchase conversion. A tool that lets shoppers express preferences upfront shifts some of that uncertainty — and could meaningfully improve repeat purchase rates for fresh categories.
Retailers and suppliers invested in online produce sales should pay attention to how this feature performs and whether it gets adopted more broadly — if ripeness customization reduces returns and complaints, expect more platforms to follow.