Rob Wile reports today for NBC News DoorDash is acquiring Instacart for $17 billion in a blockbuster deal.
“The deal means users will be able to order groceries and items from other retailers via DoorDash and its delivery network,” Wile wrote on Thursday. “The companies said Instacart customers can now shop at more than 50,000 additional stores on top of the nearly 100,000 stores on the Instacart platform today. DashPass and Instacart+ members will now also pay one membership fee instead of two.”
DoorDash plans to retain the Instacart branding once the deal closes, according to Wile.
Curb Cuts admittedly isn’t the preeminent place to get M&A news, but there are accessibility ties here. For one thing, I’ve interviewed DoorDash executives in the past and have covered Instacart on multiple occasions as well. Most people regard both as services of convenience, and they’re not wrong about that, but both provide immense benefit for accessibility too. Especially for, say, more homebound or logistically compromised people, DoorDash and/or Instacart can be bonafide godsends in getting food and groceries delivered to one’s doorstep with the least amount of resistance. In other words, what may be trivial and convenient to you may well be an essential and indispensable tool for someone with a disability. In fact, since moving to Portland in mid-July—and moving into my new house in mid-August—I’ve taken to signing up for an Instacart+ subscription to get groceries, et al, delivered to my building. Although there remains a “middle mile” barrier to getting my bag(s) of groceries from the lobby to my door on the 9th floor, it doesn’t detract from how Instacart delivery saves me from (a) the anxiety of traversing Safeway in person; and (b) carrying said items home, even if the store is a mere block from my building. The middle mile monster once again rears its ugly head. I’ve been an Instacart+ member only since September, but it’s been money very well spent thus far.
