Instacart parent to wind down Caper smart carts, sees up to $80 million in charges

Instacart parent Maplebear is shutting down its Caper smart cart business and expects to record pre-tax charges of $55 million to $80 million, according to an 8-K filed Monday.

The board decided on Oct. 25 to wind down Caper Cart operations "to re-align resources to support the Company's strategic priorities," the filing said. The wind-down is expected to be mostly complete by the end of the second quarter of 2027.

What it will cost

Most of the charges are expected in the fourth quarter of 2026. Maplebear broke them down this way:

• $21 million to $36 million for ending contractual obligations
• $22 million to $27 million for impairments of long-lived assets tied to Caper Cart
• $12 million to $17 million for employee termination costs

Of the total, $30 million to $50 million is expected to be paid in cash. The company said it will exclude the restructuring costs from adjusted EBITDA, as it has in the past. It also said actual costs and timing could differ materially from the estimates.

Savings get reinvested

Maplebear said it plans to reinvest any savings from the wind-down into strategic growth initiatives. The filing did not say how many employees are affected or estimate the savings.

The disclosure is separate from Form 4 filings earlier Monday showing stock sales by the company's CEO and CFO.

Key facts

• Decision date: Oct. 25, 2026
• Total pre-tax charges: $55 million to $80 million
• Cash portion: $30 million to $50 million
• Timing: mostly Q4 2026, substantially complete by end of Q2 2027

Sources

1. Maplebear Inc., Form 8-K (Item 2.05), filed Oct. 26, 2026 (accession 0001579091-26-000050)

This article is for informational and educational purposes only and is not investment advice. It is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security.

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