Uber knows where you live and work; Amazon tracks your spending habits; Facebook logs your Likes. But Postmates—the refuge of homebodies, impulse shoppers, and the lazy, hungry masses—understands the real you: your moods, your flings, your celebrations, and your munchies. We tapped a team of data scientists at the anything-goes delivery company to reveal our collective (and highly specific) whims, whether it’s bingeing tequila, scarfing brisket, stockpiling sex toys, or splurging on caviar.
Postmates orders surge on holidays (Bud Light requests swelled 378 percent last July 4), election nights (“You could see a massive spike the exact minute The New York Times called the election for Trump,” senior analyst Alex Orellana says), and in heat waves and blizzards. Sex store deliveries explode on Valentine’s Day.
Postmates drivers have collectively delivered 10,075,383 pounds of burritos.
Anyone who’s ever embarked on a self-improvement regimen knows that you tend to start the week with rosy intentions—prepacked lunches, nightly journaling, juice cleanses—before backsliding into the weekend in a greasy haze of pizza and booze. According to the data, our cravings tend to follow weekly patterns. You’re most likely to order chocolate on Wednesday; barbecue hits a high on Saturday. These are the peak days for various orders, by search term.
These cities have the shortest (and longest) delivery times, from the merchant to your couch.
Nationwide, the single most-popular delivery request is Chipotle. But each market has its own most-wanted regional delicacy, like those shown here. In Virginia Beach, for example, that's the Hella Fitzgerald fried chicken sandwich from Handsome Biscuit; in Austin, it's brisket by the half-pound from Rudy's Country Store.
In 28 metro areas and counting Postmates' Drinks service delivers beer, wine, or booze in 25 minutes or less. These are the tipsiest towns in the nation, according to market share.
1. Palm Springs, CA
2. Sacramento, CA
3. Pittsburgh
4. Brooklyn
5. San Diego
6. Orlando, FL
7. San Francisco
In 2017, 4/20 saw a 62 percent uptick in orders on college campuses. Regis University in Denver had the biggest relative spike, with a 400 percent increase on Weed Day.
Thanks to an "anything, anywhere, anytime" delivery model, these are the peak hours for ordering all manner of necessities.
- Designer fanny pack and assorted clothing from Alexander Wang (New York): $2,422.48
- Louis XIII cognac from Binny's (Chicago): $3,197.19
- Yves Salomon Leopard vest and coat from Intermix (New York): $3,264.07
- Luggage from Rimowa (Los Angeles): $3,480
- Alcohol, chasers, ice, and Solo cups from Pink Dot (Los Angeles): $4,467.04
- Caviar and all the fixings from Petrossian Paris (Los Angeles): $7,335.50
This article appears in the June issue. Subscribe now.
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