Maplebear’s Instacart (CART) has been on shaky ground this year as competition in grocery delivery intensifies. Well-funded rivals like Amazon (AMZN), Walmart (WMT), and other delivery platforms are leveraging their scale, logistics networks, and partnerships to squeeze Instacart’s market share. At the same time, mounting business and regulatory challenges have dented investor confidence.
That pressure intensified on Dec. 18, when CART shares slipped about 1.5% following reports that Instacart agreed to pay $60 million in consumer refunds as part of a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC alleged that the company used deceptive tactics tied to subscription sign-ups and its “100% satisfaction guarantee” advertisement, resulting in higher fees and making refunds difficult to obtain.
