Maplebear Inc.

Kroger has rolled out a combined grocery and prescription delivery service through Instacart across nearly all of its banners, allowing customers to place a single order for both groceries and eligible prescriptions. The service connects more than 2,200 Kroger pharmacy locations to Instacart delivery and is available through Kroger websites and apps. This launch supports Kroger's omni-channel approach and aims to deepen customer loyalty in digital grocery and health services. For investors, the move links Kroger's traditional store network with its growing digital ordering channels, potentially supporting larger baskets as food, prescriptions, and everyday items are bundled into one checkout. The clearest signal of traction will be how Kroger reports digital sales and pharmacy utilization in upcoming earnings updates, including commentary on order frequency and average ticket for online baskets that include prescriptions.

Maplebear Inc. has acquired Arpalus to strengthen its inventory intelligence capabilities in grocery retail. Arpalus adds computer vision technology that converts a quick video scan into a real-time picture of store inventory, identifying individual shelf items with more than 95% accuracy on average. This complements Instacart's existing flow of more than 10 million daily inventory signals from roughly 600,000 shoppers. The acquisition could make Instacart's inventory intelligence more precise and current, supporting greater fulfillment efficiency and more relevant AI-powered shopping experiences. Maplebear shares have gained 20.3% over the past three months, and the stock trades at a forward 12-month price-to-sales multiple of 2.51, above the industry average of 1.71.

Maplebear, operating as Instacart, is betting its new AI Assistant will accelerate platform growth after a second-quarter 2026 pilot showed orders placed through the tool generate larger basket sizes than the company's overall average order value of $115. The assistant synthesizes individual preferences, order history, real-time store inventory, and promotions to build complete carts for delivery in as fast as an hour, supported by more than 1.6 billion lifetime orders, a catalog exceeding 2 billion products, and over 10 million daily inventory signals. Enterprise partners including Stew Leonard's, The Save Mart Companies, Woodman's, and Harmon's have signed up for a white-label version, and third-party integrations with platforms like Google's Gemini broaden consumer entry points. Maplebear shares have gained 23.7% over the past three months, outperforming the industry's 3.9% rise but trailing DoorDash's 42.2% surge, while the stock trades at a forward 12-month price-to-sales multiple of 2.60, above the industry average of 1.70. Zacks consensus estimates imply current fiscal-year sales and earnings per share growth of 13.1% and 28.4%, respectively, though EPS estimates for the current and next fiscal year have been cut by 12 cents and 8 cents to $2.35 and $2.94 over the past seven days.

Instacart and Academy Sports + Outdoors announced a new partnership bringing Academy's full catalog to the Instacart Marketplace for same-day delivery in as fast as an hour at no markups. The collaboration covers Academy's more than 300 stores across 21 states, offering national brands and exclusive private labels across sports, outdoor, apparel, and footwear. The launch is timed for back-to-school, fall sports, hunting season, and tailgating, with a promotional offer of $15 off a $75-plus purchase for qualifying new Academy customers through October 12th. Academy joins over 2,200 retail banners on the Instacart Marketplace.

Instacart reported second-quarter revenue of $1.04 billion, exceeding analyst estimates of $1.03 billion and representing 14.1% year-on-year growth. GAAP earnings per share came in at $0.45, missing the consensus estimate of $0.54 by 16.6%, while adjusted EBITDA reached $313 million, above the $297.8 million forecast. CEO Chris Rogers attributed the performance to accelerated net new customer additions, deeper engagement, and the expansion of AI-powered features such as personalized nutrition tags and enhanced substitution models. The company also highlighted growth in its advertising and enterprise segments, including new partnerships with Costco in France and Spain and Morrisons in the UK. Looking ahead, management guided for 14% growth at the midpoint for the third quarter and expects adjusted EBITDA to outpace gross transaction volume growth as it reinvests in core growth drivers.

Instacart plans to launch its AI assistant across its North American marketplace over the next several weeks, aiming to increase order values and attract new customers. The company beat Wall Street expectations for the second quarter, driven by advertising gains and higher order values, and set third-quarter guidance reflecting first-half business momentum. BofA Securities analyst Justin Post noted that orders placed with the AI assistant have larger than average order values, and a broader rollout could be a catalyst for the stock. Oppenheimer analyst Jason Helfstein also observed that AI assistant orders are driving larger basket sizes than the corporate average. CEO Chris Rogers said the AI assistant delivers an agentic experience that removes friction and makes shopping more personalized, calling AI a meaningful growth driver for the company and the category.

Several companies made significant after-hours moves following their quarterly earnings reports. Airbnb surged about 7% after posting second-quarter earnings of $1.37 per share on revenues of $3.61 billion, beating analyst forecasts of $1.25 per share and $3.58 billion. Twilio jumped roughly 16% on strong current-quarter guidance, projecting adjusted earnings of $1.42 to $1.47 per share on revenue of $1.51 billion to $1.52 billion, above consensus estimates. Trade Desk tumbled 22% after its adjusted earnings of 34 cents per share and revenue of $715 million missed expectations of 40 cents and $751 million. Sweetgreen plunged 14% as its second-quarter loss of 22 cents per share on $193 million in revenue fell short of the anticipated loss of 15 cents on $195 million. DraftKings slipped over 1.5% after revenue of $1.44 billion missed the $1.51 billion estimate, though it reaffirmed its 2026 fiscal-year guidance. Cloudflare rallied 17% on upbeat guidance, while Akamai Technologies gained 12% and Instacart rose more than 8% on better-than-expected revenue. Dropbox fell nearly 6% after its non-GAAP gross margin of 81.6% narrowly missed the 81.7% consensus.

Instaleap, now part of Instacart, has entered a strategic partnership with SPAR Slovenia to serve as the retailer's e-commerce fulfillment platform. The collaboration will orchestrate and optimize SPAR Slovenia's e-grocery operations, last-mile delivery, and marketplace integrations across the country. Instaleap's platform will centralize online order intake, streamline in-store picking, enable dynamic delivery routing, and improve real-time operational visibility. The partnership is intended to strengthen Instaleap's presence in Europe and support SPAR Slovenia's digital modernization efforts. Instaleap works with nearly 80 retailers in close to 30 countries, and this deal reflects its focus on helping regional grocery leaders scale efficient online operations.

Instacart is expanding its growth model beyond grocery-delivery transaction fees by leveraging artificial intelligence, retail media, and enterprise software. Advertising and other revenues rose 16% year over year to $286 million in the first quarter of 2026, supported by more than 9,000 advertising brands and over 310 Carrot Ads partners. The company's AI-powered Cart Assistant is now available to about 25% of U.S. customers, while its Storefront Pro platform powers more than 380 grocery e-commerce sites and recently launched with Costco in Spain and France. However, cost of revenues climbed 24% to $281 million, outpacing total revenue growth of 14%, driven by higher credit-card processing fees, publisher payments, and depreciation. The stock carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and a VGM Score of A, though the growth thesis depends on profitable scaling amid regulatory and fulfillment cost pressures.

Tractor Supply has launched a nationwide partnership with Instacart, offering same-day delivery from more than 2,400 of its stores across the United States. The rollout expands access to Tractor Supply's assortment for customers who prefer online ordering and rapid delivery. The deal arrives as the stock faces significant pressure, with shares trading at $29.64 and down 41.7% year to date and 48.7% over the past year. The move places Tractor Supply more firmly in same-day delivery and rural e-commerce, with key investor questions centering on customer adoption, impact on in-store traffic, and how Instacart volumes contribute to the company's broader omnichannel strategy.

StockStory identified Pinterest, Robinhood, and Instacart as three quality compounders to target this week. Pinterest, with a market cap of $12.78 billion, has grown monthly active users by 11.2% annually over two years and posted 40.9% annual EPS growth, supported by a 26.5% free cash flow margin. Robinhood, valued at $89.4 billion, saw average revenue per user rise 143% annually over two years and EPS grow 95.7% annually, reflecting improved monetization and cash conversion. Instacart, at a $10.99 billion market cap, boasts a 74.1% gross margin and 28.3% EBITDA margin, with free cash flow margin expanding by 12.5 percentage points.

Empire State Realty Trust signed a new office lease with Instacart for 26,134 square feet at 111 West 33rd Street in the second quarter. The company also signed a 7,100-square-foot lease with Hansa Biopharma early in the third quarter, bringing 111 West 33rd Street to 100% leased. Additionally, 1350 Broadway is now fully leased following 12 new leases and tenant expansion deals over the past 12 months. Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer Ryan Kass said the full occupancy at both properties reflects strong demand for Manhattan office space in New York City, while noting the company still has two large office spaces available for lease in 2026.

Instacart announced on Thursday that it has acquired computer vision company Arpalus, which develops shelf intelligence technology for grocery retail. Financial terms were not disclosed. Arpalus' technology turns a quick video scan of a store shelf into a real-time picture of what is actually there, identifying individual items with more than 95% accuracy on average, even in challenging store conditions. The technology runs on any smartphone or camera-equipped device, allowing Instacart's network of 600,000 shoppers to generate real-time shelf intelligence at scale using their existing app. The acquisition is expected to drive fulfillment efficiencies, improve inventory accuracy for retailers and brands, and create new earning opportunities for shoppers.

Maplebear, better known as Instacart, could be about 4% undervalued according to a widely followed narrative that places its fair value at $50.19 per share, above the last close of $48.39. The stock has gained 17.32% over the past 30 days and 21.04% over 90 days, though the one-year total shareholder return stands at just 0.83%. The bullish case rests on deepening enterprise partnerships and a growing suite of omnichannel retailer integrations such as Storefront, Carrot Ads, Caper Carts, and Carrot Tags, which are increasing stickiness with major retail chains and driving higher-margin, non-transaction-based revenues from advertising and in-store technology. However, the story also carries risks from rising labor and regulatory pressures as well as tougher competition that could squeeze margins and challenge the fair value thesis.

Shares of LegalZoom, Angi, Instacart, and Chewy rose in afternoon trading after consumer confidence edged up to 91.2 in June. While the Present Situation Index contracted, the Expectations Index strengthened, signaling improved consumer outlook for income, business, and labor market conditions. LegalZoom gained 3.1%, Angi rose 3%, Instacart climbed 3.4%, and Chewy advanced 3.2%. The uptick in forward-looking optimism suggests consumers may increase spending on non-essential goods and services, benefiting consumer discretionary companies.

Instacart, operating as Maplebear, rolled out a new shoppable vertical video feature called Immersive Feed, allowing customers to watch short recipe clips and add ingredients directly to their online grocery carts within retailer storefronts. The launch aims to strengthen Instacart's higher-margin retail media business by linking advertising content with immediate purchase behavior. The feature arrives alongside Instacart's first-quarter 2026 results, where revenue reached US$1,019 million and net income was US$144 million, highlighting the importance of advertising and enterprise products to earnings. While Immersive Feed could deepen advertiser demand and support a more profitable revenue mix over time, its near-term impact on higher-margin ad revenue remains uncertain and may not be immediately material. Some optimistic analysts see tools like Immersive Feed reinforcing a path toward about US$5.0 billion in revenue and US$1.0 billion in earnings by 2028, though other forecasts worry about advertising growth slowing despite new formats.

Instacart shares rose 4.2% after the company launched Immersive Feed, a shoppable vertical video feature for advertisers, and received a positive analyst rating. Citizens reiterated a Market Outperform rating and a $60 price target, highlighting how artificial intelligence could simplify shopping by letting customers order all ingredients for a meal at once. The stock traded at $46.14, still 10.9% below its 52-week high of $51.77 from August 2025.