DoorDash is in advanced talks to acquire food delivery rival Instacart, according to people familiar with the matter, The Wall Street Journal reported on 27 October 2026. A deal could be finalised as soon as this week and could value Instacart at around $17 billion — but there are no guarantees it will come together.

What a deal would combine

Instacart, which went public in 2023, had a market value of around $13 billion before the Journal reported the talks, and its shares rose roughly 8% on Monday following the report. DoorDash, with a market value of around $73 billion, saw its shares drop around 6% on Monday. Buying Instacart would add a major grocery delivery partner to DoorDash's roster: Instacart's core business is online grocery shopping and convenience home delivery from retailers, while DoorDash already delivers from retailers such as Kroger, Safeway and Aldi alongside its restaurant business.

Talks history and rivals

Instacart also explored a sale in 2021, when its shares traded significantly higher and it controlled more of the food delivery market; Walmart and Amazon have since become more formidable challengers. The Information earlier reported that Instacart had attracted takeover interest from DoorDash and Uber, but the talks with Uber are no longer active, the people familiar with the matter said.

Sources: The Wall Street Journal, 27 October 2026. Talks are reported as advanced, not as a completed deal.