DoorDash in advanced talks to buy Instacart for about $17 billion

· Finance · United States

DoorDash was reported to be in advanced talks to acquire Instacart in a deal that would value the grocery-delivery company at roughly $17 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal. Analysts framed the possible combination as a response to pressure from Walmart and Amazon in online grocery and delivery. Separately, Instacart said it would discontinue its Caper smart carts by 2027, exiting technology it once promoted as the future of grocery shopping, after a costly strategic shift approved by its board. The talks and the product retreat together show a sector consolidating around scale and delivery economics.

Why it matters：A tie-up of two delivery platforms would reshape competition in online grocery against retail giants, while the smart-cart retreat shows hardware bets in the sector can fail fast.

Key points

  • The reported deal would value Instacart at roughly $17 billion.
  • Analysts see the move as a response to Walmart and Amazon.
  • Instacart will discontinue Caper smart carts by 2027.

Sources (original reporting)

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