Daily Briefing (Insiders Only): A Look At The Consumption Culture On Gopuff
Instant consumption means instant insights. Over the course of the past year delivery platform Gopuff tracked a 166% increase in orders for cottage cheese, a 131% year-over-year spike in orders for Tart Cherry Juice and saw searches for cucumbers rise 28% in August.
What do all of these items have in common? Their surges in popularity were all driven by new social media trends (see: Cottage cheese is cool now, sleepy girl mocktails and how to eat an entire cucumber, respectively, for the receipts). The platform saw this impact immediately, with each ingredient notching order increases just as its respective trend reached peak virality.
Beyond social media feeds there was one other cultural event that convinced consumers to continue to checkout: The Super Bowl.
- Overall, orders were up for ice (113%), Tostitos (332%), alcohol (75%) and hot sauce (154%) during the big game.
- But the real winner may have been Lindt Chocolate, which saw a 231% increase in orders via the platform in the hour after its ad aired during the game.
However, viral moments and football fanatics didn’t heavily shape the most popular products purchased on the platform in 2024. In fact, grocery staples largely took over the list with the report claiming the category has become more popular on Gopuff than ever before.
- The most ordered items include Basically Purified Water Bottles, Simply Lemonade Raspberry, Organic Valley Grade A Free Range Large Brown Eggs, the very simple and humble (read: brand-less) banana and Chester’s Flamin’ Hot Fries.
The year also saw shoppers seeking value more than ever before, and Gopuff believes that trend will continue into 2025, stating that retailers offering loyalty programs, discounts and budget-friendly prices on grocery staples will win out. In December 2024 alone, 1 of every 3 products sold on Gopuff came from its Deals Center.
As for emerging brands, social media will also take on even greater importance in 2025, the report claims, stating it will play an outsized role in product discovery and purchasing decisions. Over the past year, the platform’s emerging brand-focused “Just Dropped” collection was its most popular category, and its “Latest & Greatest” segment also saw a spike in popularity.
