DoorDash is in advanced talks to acquire Instacart for about $17 billion, with an announcement possible as early as this week, according to the Wall Street Journal and The Information. The price represents a premium to Instacart’s $13 billion market value before the reports sent its shares up 8 percent. DoorDash, valued at roughly $73 billion, would absorb a grocery-delivery specialist that had also been in discussions with Uber, though those talks have ended.
Talks advanced but not final
The Journal cited unnamed sources saying the companies could finalize a deal this week, while The Information reported an announcement could come within days assuming the agreement does not fall apart at the last minute. Neither company commented on the speculation when contacted by PYMNTS. The structure of the consideration, cash, stock or a mix, was not disclosed in the reports, nor were any break-fee terms or conditions.
Instacart sheds hardware ahead of process
Instacart announced Monday it will wind down its Caper Cart business, which developed AI-powered smart carts, after concluding that retail adoption had not scaled quickly enough to justify the investment required. A spokesperson told Bloomberg the decision was made over a period of months and preceded the earliest reports of a potential sale. Instacart said it will continue building in-store software tools as part of a single operating system for online and physical retail.
Grocery infrastructure as the asset
DoorDash began with restaurant delivery and has since expanded to retailers including Macy’s, CVS and Target. Adding Instacart would bring a dedicated grocery fulfillment network and proprietary data on supermarket shelves, assets that support the AI initiatives Instacart has highlighted. The deal would consolidate two of the largest U.S. on-demand logistics platforms under a single owner, though regulatory scrutiny of a combined market position remains an open question.