Since the COVID boom (and subsequent decline), Instacart has gone through a number of changes, most of which Apptopia’s data shows as positive. Following a period of consolidation, competitive dynamics have stabilized, presenting an opportunity to continue to grow, at least on the mobile side. 

Among our U.S. Consumer Insights panel, Device Penetration of food delivery apps is only 20 percent. That means 80% of mobile users have no food delivery app, implying a surprisingly robust TAM for Instacart. 

Additionally, the competitive threat remains low, with minimal overlap in audience.The Audience Overlap between Instacart and competitors Uber Eats (UBER), Postmates (UBER), DoorDash (DASH), and Grubhub (JET LN) ranges between 9 and 11 percent. Instacart users that download either Uber Eats or DoorDash – about 30% and 50%, respectively – remain active on Instacart, indicating a sticky value proposition.

We also noticed Instacart growing its highest-value customers. Female user engagement is on the rise, with a 28% faster growth rate in app usage compared to male users since the start of 2022. Similarly, younger users now spend 10% more time on Instacart than older users.

Source: Apptopia Proprietary Device Panel