Instacart

The company operates a two‑sided marketplace and enterprise platform. On the consumer side, it aggregates catalogues and inventory from partnered grocery and retail chains into a single e‑commerce interface and orchestrates order picking, last‑mile delivery and store collection through a network of independent contract shoppers and in‑store staff. On the enterprise side, it licenses and operates white‑label e‑commerce storefronts, fulfilment orchestration tools and store‑digitisation technology for retailers, and offers order‑management and big‑and‑bulky fulfilment solutions.

In parallel, it runs a retail media business that sells media inventory on its digital marketplace, on retailer‑owned properties powered by its platform and on in‑store devices such as AI‑powered smart carts. Brands and agencies buy ad placements and campaigns that are targeted using shopper and transaction data, with closed‑loop measurement of on‑platform sales. The firm also acquires specialist technology providers to expand its pricing optimisation, in‑store checkout and independent retailer e‑commerce capabilities, deepening its value to retail partners and advertisers.

Maplebear Inc. (doing business as Instacart) is a US-based grocery and retail e‑commerce and fulfilment company. It operates a consumer marketplace that connects shoppers with national, regional and local retailers for same‑day and scheduled delivery and collection, and provides enterprise technology, fulfilment and advertising solutions to retailers and brands.

The company generates revenue from consumer delivery and service fees and subscriptions, enterprise fees from retailers using its e‑commerce and fulfilment platform, and advertising spend from brands and agencies using its retail media network and in‑store media surfaces. Its main customers are consumers buying groceries and retail goods, retailers that outsource or augment their e‑commerce and fulfilment, and consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands and agencies purchasing retail media advertising.