DoorDash to buy Instacart for about $17 billion in grocery push

what happened

DoorDash announced on Thursday that it will acquire Instacart at an estimated $17 billion, a move that extends its reach into US grocery delivery, one of the sector's fastest-growing segments. Reuters noted that rivalry among app-based platforms is heating up.

Delivery companies have been consolidating as order growth cooled after the pandemic peak, costs climbed and regulators scrutinized how gig workers are treated. Recent examples include Just Eat Takeaway's $7.3 billion purchase of Grubhub, DoorDash's acquisitions of Wolt and Britain's Deliveroo in 2025, and Uber's $15 billion agreement for Delivery Hero earlier this year.

Instacart shareholders would receive $65 per share, a premium of about 26% over the October 22 closing price, which predates reports of talks. The companies expect the deal to close at the end of 2027 or in the first half of 2028. Separately, in a Monday regulatory filing, Instacart disclosed it will shut its Caper Cart unit, a smart shopping-cart venture, by the close of the second quarter of 2027, with related pre-tax costs of $55 million to $80 million.

why it matters

The deal shows large delivery platforms betting that groceries, not only restaurant orders, will drive growth. With DoorDash shares down about 25% this year and Instacart up nearly 30%, according to Reuters data, investors will weigh the premium offered against integration risk and regulatory review.

market impact

Instacart shares: the deal premium supports the stock; DoorDash: a large acquisition adds integration risk

• ▲Instacart shares pressure up — a $65 offer carrying a roughly 26% premium supports the stock price
• ↔DoorDash shares mixed — a large acquisition pairs wider reach with integration and regulatory risk

tags

instruments