Delivery Duopoly Raises Grocery Gatekeeper Risk

DoorDash’s agreement to buy Instacart for about $17 billion would combine two national leaders in on‑demand food and grocery delivery. The deal (a $65/share offer, mostly cash, expected to close late 2027–H1 2028) could reduce platform competition, alter fees and data control for local grocers, and change bargaining leverage for workers and municipalities. — If regulators allow it, the merger would centralize platform control over retail food access and distribution, with implications for prices, small businesses, labor conditions, and antitrust policy.