DOORDASH INC.

Doordash is, according to multiple sources, in advanced talks to acquire Instacart; a deal could value Instacart at about $17 billion and could be completed as soon as this week. Instacart had a market valuation of roughly $13 billion before the reports, and its stock rose after the news. Talks with Uber are no longer active; the acquisition would strengthen Doordash’s position in the grocery delivery business. » Altro su finanzen.net

DoorDash sent warnings to restaurant partners after AI-native startup Bites began listing venues and enabling orders via ChatGPT, routing orders directly to restaurants and charging a $1 flat surcharge. Bites says its model lowers prices for customers and improves margins for restaurants by avoiding DoorDash’s 15–30% commissions and by providing restaurants with customer data. The shift toward LLM-based “agent” ordering could erode DoorDash’s commissions, ad revenue and discovery role, while DoorDash is also exploring agentic ordering features of its own. » Altro su theverge.com

DoorDash will let customers order via text message through a beta waitlist for US iOS users, using its Ask DoorDash AI to suggest items and handle checkout. The company is piloting DoorDash Air drone deliveries in part of northern California with partners including Chipotle and Popeyes, aiming for sub‑five‑minute drops for small orders. In November DoorDash will expand its Dasher retail returns service nationwide, allowing couriers to return items to retailers for $7.99 without a box or shipping label. » Altro su theverge.com