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DoorDash-Instacart talks

Business · Heat 7.0 / 10 · 5 shows · 23m airtime

The Wall Street Journal reported on October 26, 2026 that DoorDash is in advanced talks to acquire Instacart, with a deal possibly closing as soon as this week. The reported price is around $17 billion, against a market cap of around $12 billion before The Information reported the talks. A source says Instacart had also been in talks with Uber, which passed after paying nearly $15 billion for Delivery Hero. On October 30 the FTC issued personalized-pricing orders to both companies among nine firms. Whether the deal closes this week remains open.

How 5 podcasts covered it

  1. Closing Bell, 2026-10-26 (38:28 to 39:52)
    Breaks the DoorDash-Instacart talks
    Breaks the reported DoorDash-Instacart talks and the market reaction: DoorDash down nearly 6 percent, Instacart up more than 6 percent. Adds that Instacart had also talked to Uber, which passed after buying Delivery Hero.
    New angle: Instacart had also been in acquisition talks with Uber, which passed after buying Delivery Hero.
  2. The Information's TITV, 2026-10-27 (14:54 to 20:25)
    Breaks down the $17 billion scoop
    Valida Pau walks through her scoop: the $17 billion price, Instacart's fall from a $39 billion 2021 valuation to a roughly $12 billion market cap, and why the 2021 talks died on antitrust. She argues this regime may accept divestitures, and says an announcement could come as soon as tomorrow.
    New angle: Instacart's market cap was around $12 billion before The Information reported the talks.
  3. TBPN, 2026-10-27 (47:57 to 52:20)
    Debates the DoorDash-Instacart deal
    Takes the reported DoorDash-Instacart talks and runs through the numbers: the ~$17 billion price, Instacart's 2023 IPO at ~$13 billion, the 8% pop and DoorDash's 6% drop. The hosts split on whether the deal makes sense and whether the FTC would approve it.
    New angle: DoorDash is in advanced talks to buy Instacart for around $17 billion, possibly this week.
  4. TBPN, 2026-10-27 (27:07 to 29:59)
    Debates the reported $17 billion Instacart deal
    Picks up the reported DoorDash-Instacart talks and stays on the surface: the $17 billion figure, the same-week timing, the share moves, and Instacart's Maple Bear Inc. entity name. The hosts debate whether the deal makes sense and would clear regulators, but add no reporting of their own.
    New angle: DoorDash is in advanced talks to buy Instacart for around $17 billion, possibly closing this week.
  5. The Best One Yet, 2026-10-28 (5:41 to 10:17)
    Cross-checks the deal against grocery market share
    Recaps the reported DoorDash-Instacart talks with a Godfather framing, then pivots to market share: Walmart leads grocery delivery at 31 percent, Amazon is second at 24 percent, Instacart third at 16 percent, and DoorDash is not in the report. The share figures are new to the record, but the segment stays inside the reported deal.
  6. Start Here, 2026-10-30 (17:58 to 21:47)
    Adds the FTC pricing orders to nine firms
    Covers DoorDash's $17 billion offer for Instacart and the FTC's personalized-pricing orders to nine consumer companies, with denials from Walmart, Instacart and the airlines' lobbying group. Frames the deal as consolidation to compete with Amazon and Walmart.
    New angle: The FTC issued personalized-pricing orders to Delta, United, JetBlue, Lyft, Uber, DoorDash, Instacart, Target and Walmart.
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