Instacart’s Profitability Relies in Part on Batching Orders Together — Something That Its Gig Workers Hate

Instacart’s recent IPO filing revealed a strategy that has contributed to its profitability: increasing the “batch rate,” or the number of orders fulfilled in one trip by gig workers. By pushing its workers to handle multiple orders simultaneously, the company aimed to boost efficiency and reduce fulfillment costs and time. However, this practice, known as “batching,” has led to decreased earnings for some gig workers, with some stating that they now have to handle more orders to earn the same amount as before.