CAMP urges Bureau to block DoorDash’s proposed acquisition of Instacart 

October 29, 2026 [Ottawa, ON] – The Canadian Anti-Monopoly Project (CAMP) is calling on the Competition Bureau to block  DoorDash’s proposed $17-billion acquisition of Instacart, a deal that would combine two competing platforms as online food and grocery delivery grows in Canada. 

DoorDash is already one of Canada’s most used delivery platforms by monthly active users, and has recently been expanding into grocery, including through a series of partnerships with Empire Company Ltd., Loblaws and Pattison Food Group  that brought more than 2,300  stores onto its platform. As DoorDash’s grocery business has grown, it has begun competing directly with Instacart, a grocery-first service available to approximately 90% of Canadian households. The proposed acquisition would bring those expanding businesses under one owner. The stakes matter beyond market shares: 49% of Canadians reported using DoorDash in the past year, and 27.4% use food-delivery apps more than once a month. The takeover could have negative consequences for consumers, stores making use of the services, and the delivery workers that make these platforms possible.  

“Canadians continue to feel the pressure of high food costs, and follks in a hurry rely on these delivery services to get groceries and meals. That’s why more, not less competition in this market is so important,” said Keldon Bester, Executive Director of the Canadian Anti-Monopoly Project. “A situation where a growing competitor is absorbed by a larger platform is the perfect time for the Bureau to intervene in defense of competition. In doing so, the Bureau needs to consider the impacts on consumers, workers, and businesses like restaurants and grocery stores. We’ve seen what happens when other parts of the food supply chain consolidate, and this takeover will be no different.”  

DoorDash and Instacart say the deal will give consumers more choice, help local stores reach customers and create more earning opportunities for delivery workers. Those claims should be met with the skepticism warranted when a larger player seeks to acquire rather than compete. Canadians benefit from the growing rivalry between DoorDash and Instacart, benefits that would be extinguished by this takeover.  

In its review of the merger, CAMP recommends the Competition Bureau consider the potential effects of the transaction on all sides of DoorDash and Instacart’s business: on users, delivery workers, and participating stores. 

The Bureau is already pursuing a separate case against DoorDash over allegations it advertised prices and discounts consumers could not actually obtain due to mandatory fees. Those allegations are currently before the Competition Tribunal. 

“Competition between delivery platforms increasingly shape how people access food, how stores reach customers and how workers earn a living,” Bester said. “This is exactly the kind of merger Canada’s competition laws should be protecting us from.”