Here's when Instacart cold and flu orders spike
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Instacart orders for cold and flu medicine, cough suppressants and other sick-day essentials tend to spike around Christmas, per new data the company shared with Axios.
Why it matters: It's a way of seeing how our shopping patterns are affected by outside factors — in this case, cold and flu season.
What they found: Orders for cold and flu medicine and cough suppressants both peaked on Dec. 26 last winter, per Instacart.
- Facial tissues peaked on Dec. 27, while "immune support" products peaked on Dec. 28.
How it works: That's based on each category's daily order share between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025.
Between the lines: Some relevant items had definite wintertime spikes, but others — like hand sanitizer and wipes — saw steadier demand over the covered period.
What's next: Experts are warning of a new flu outbreak tied to an emerging version of strain H3N2, Axios' Herb Scribner reports.
