Instacart to Wind Down Its Caper Cart Smart Shopping Cart Business

what happened

Maplebear, which operates as Instacart, said in a filing with the SEC that it will end its Caper Cart smart shopping cart operations. The company expects pre-tax charges of $55 million to $80 million, mostly in the fourth quarter of 2026, to cover the wind-down.

The charges include $21 million to $36 million in contract termination costs, $22 million to $27 million in impairments of long-lived assets, and $12 million to $17 million in employee termination expenses. The company expects $30 million to $50 million of the charges to lead to future cash outlays and will exclude them from adjusted EBITDA. The wind-down should be substantially complete by the end of the second quarter of 2027, with the savings redirected into strategic growth initiatives.

According to Dow Jones Newswires, the Wall Street Journal reported earlier the same day, citing people familiar with the matter, that DoorDash is in advanced talks to acquire Instacart and a deal could be finalized as soon as this week.

why it matters

The Caper Cart program itself is unlikely to move markets, given the modest size of the charges for a company of Instacart's scale. The more important factor for investors is the reported DoorDash talks. If a deal goes ahead, Instacart shares would increasingly track its terms, while DoorDash would expand its footprint in grocery delivery.

market impact

Instacart and DoorDash: one-off charges and deal reports add volatility to Instacart shares

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