Introducing Instacart’s Preference Picker, So You Can Get Groceries Just How You Like

Grocery shopping is personal. Every household has its own quirks – we care about getting the right shade of banana for our banana bread recipe or thin-cut turkey slices at the deli for our kids’ lunch. These preferences reflect the everyday judgment calls we make about freshness, brand affinity, budgets, and what’s right for our families and ourselves each time we shop for groceries.

As part of our commitment to delivering an exceptional grocery shopping experience, today we’re announcing Preference Picker, a new product feature within Instacart’s suite of in-app Grocery Quality Controls that helps customers guide those small but meaningful decisions – helping shoppers hand-pick your groceries just the way you like them. 

Available today across most retailers on the Instacart Marketplace, Preference Picker gives customers an easy way to select their banana ripeness – from “Not Ripe” to “Almost Ripe” to “Ripe” – with availability varying by retailer and location. We’re launching Preference Picker with bananas because they are the number one selling product on Instacart, with more than 1.8 billion bananas delivered to date. Bananas also have the most Shopper Notes – written instructions for shoppers – of any items sold on Instacart, with more than 32 million notes, showing how small preferences can make a big difference. In the months ahead, Instacart will explore expanding Preference Picker to additional categories, such as options to select avocado ripeness and specify deli meat thickness.

Preference Picker Joins Instacart’s Suite of Grocery Quality Controls

Preference Picker is the newest addition to Instacart’s Grocery Quality Controls, a bundle of in-app tools designed to help shoppers hand-pick your groceries, just how you like.

With Preference Picker, you can:

• Choose your ideal banana ripeness: When you add bananas to your cart at most retailers, you’ll see a simple selector that lets you choose exactly what you want – from “Not Ripe” to “Almost Ripe” to “Ripe.” Your selection is saved so you don’t have to repeat it each time, and you can update it, too.

• See which bananas were chosen: Shoppers can see your preference up front, helping guide their choices. While shopping for your bananas, they’ll confirm what they found and share a quick photo so you know exactly what’s headed your way.

• Stay informed when your preference isn’t available: If your preferred level of banana ripeness isn’t available, your shopper will let you know and send a photo of the next-best option.

Alongside Preference Picker, the full suite of Grocery Quality Controls includes:

• Inventory Check: Get real-time visibility into what’s in stock, running low, or unavailable. 

• Shopper Notes: Add helpful context, such as size, color, or specific preferences, which help your shopper find and pick the best products for you. 

• Replacement Preferences: Choose backup items in advance in case your preferred product is out of stock.  

• Smart Backup: Receive AI-powered replacement suggestions if no replacement preference is set. 

• Second Store Check: If your first shopper can't find your item or an acceptable replacement, we can prompt a second shopper to deliver it from another store location*.
  
  *Offered on limited orders based on item and shopper availability, cost, and other factors.

Developed with insight from more than 1.5 billion lifetime orders, 13 years of grocery expertise, and data across more than 1,800 retail banners and nearly 100,000 stores, Instacart’s Grocery Quality Controls help ensure groceries are picked thoughtfully, with quality built into every step.

Preference Picker Takes the Spotlight in This Year’s Big Game

We are spotlighting Preference Picker during this year’s Big Game with a new 30-second commercial, “Bananas,” airing in the first quarter on Sunday, February 8, 2026. Using humor and spectacle, the ad turns banana ripeness into a playful showdown between Ben Stiller and Benson Boone, showing how small preferences matter. Their engaging banter reinforces the idea behind Preference Picker, which gives customers more control over their order from start to finish. 

Built for Grocery. Built for You.

With Preference Picker, we want to give you simple, powerful ways to share what matters most to you when it comes to getting the groceries you need, and to make sure shoppers have the tools they need to help make that possible. 

That same commitment to quality and care extends across our platform. We’ve built solutions like Smart Shop, to make shopping easier and more intuitive, helping surface relevant items as you browse. With Smart Shop, you can set Preferences (like gluten-free or vegetarian) to shape what you see across the app, and use Health Tags – clear, easy-to-understand labels like high protein – to quickly spot products that meet your preferences. Powered by AI, Smart Shop leverages cutting-edge technology to deliver more relevant search results and recommendations, making it easier to find the right item from the start. 

“Bananas” 📺 🏈

Set your banana preferences and tune in during the Big Game on February 8 to see Ben Stiller and Benson Boone showdown about how “Instacart lets you choose your bananas.”  

For more information about Instacart and to start shopping just how you like, visit instacart.com.