San Francisco – September 21, 2026 -- Instacart (NASDAQ: CART) has launched new in-store software that gives grocers and CPG brands a real-time digital map of every shelf in a store, drawing on more than 10 million unique data points collected daily by its network of roughly 600,000 shoppers.
Instacart shoppers visit stores 15 times daily, feeding shelf-scan data into new tools
The company's shopper network visits stores across North America more than 15 times per store per day on average. That shelf-scan data is combined with insights from over 1.6 billion lifetime orders and imagery captured by Instacart shoppers and Caper Carts, which use Arpalus computer vision technology, to build a live view of stock levels, demand spikes and merchandising performance.
Inventory Intelligence lets store managers virtually walk aisles before restocking
For retailers, the Inventory Intelligence tool creates a virtual store view where managers can inspect shelf performance and test stocking or planogram changes before executing them physically. Features include continuously updated shelf visibility, merchandising optimization to flag products needing more facings, and demand forecasting to anticipate stockouts ahead of peak periods.
Store Excellence Portal gives CPG brands daily, store-level revenue loss estimates
CPG brands get a separate tool, the Store Excellence Portal, delivering a daily, store-level view of shelf status refreshed to the UPC level. It estimates lost sales in dollar terms, tracks whether shoppers switched to competing products or pack sizes when items were unavailable, and benchmarks availability against category peers. Forecasting features flag which stores and SKUs are likely to run out before it happens, based on historical availability data.
Queen's Price Chopper and Advantage Solutions cite faster gap response
Dylan Queen of Queen's Price Chopper said the tools reduce reliance on piecing together information from multiple systems and manual floor checks, helping stores orchestrate replenishment faster. Andy Keenan of Advantage Solutions said access to Store Excellence Portal data allows his team to prioritize resources by sales opportunity, which has helped recover lost sales and improve on-shelf availability for the brands it serves.
The solutions are rolling out with select grocers and CPG brands as part of the Instacart Enterprise platform, with additional launches planned in the coming months. Instacart's Chief Commercial Officer, Ryan Hamburger, said traditional inventory systems rely on estimates and periodic counts that leave retailers and brands with an incomplete picture of shelf conditions.