DoorDash to Acquire Instacart for $17B

DoorDash announced a roughly $17 billion deal to buy Instacart, adding Instacart's grocery marketplace and retailer partnerships to its own delivery network. Closing is expected between the end of 2027 and the first half of 2028, subject to regulatory approvals, and both brands and apps will be kept separate.

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The deal combines the two largest U.S. third-party grocery delivery platforms, giving DoorDash scale in grocery against Amazon and Walmart. A long closing window of late 2027 to mid-2028 leaves regulatory risk, since antitrust review is likely to focus on the combined market share. Uber, which was reportedly also in talks with Instacart, loses a possible entry into grocery marketplaces and must decide on its own response. Grocers and retailers may gain a stronger platform but face less choice among aggregators, though DoorDash has pledged no exclusivity. Shopper and gig-worker flexibility commitments suggest DoorDash expects labor and regulatory scrutiny.