Instacart's Q2 2025: Navigating Contradictions in Advertising Strategy and Growth Dynamics

Advertising growth and strategy, impact of small basket size changes, personalization efforts, advertising growth outlook, advertising growth and strategy are the key contradictions discussed in Instacart's latest 2025Q2 earnings call.



Strong Financial Performance and Growth:
- Instacart reported GTV growth of 11% year-over-year, driven by 17% growth in orders.
- The growth was supported by increased order frequency and new customer acquisition, despite a reduction in average order value due to lower basket minimums and restaurant orders.

Focus on Retailer Integration and Enterprise Solutions:
- Instacart achieved a 3x larger share of sales among digital-first players compared to the next player and continues to be the share of sales leader for GTV.
- This leadership is attributed to its ability to meet customers' full grocery needs, particularly in the big basket category, and its ability to deepen retailer integrations and enterprise offerings.

Advertising and Revenue Diversification:
- Advertising and other revenue grew 12% year-over-year, outpacing GTV growth, reaching 2.8% of GTV.
- Diversification efforts allowed Instacart to offset reduced spending from large CPG brands by attracting growth from emerging and midsized brands.

AI and Operational Efficiency:
- Over 80% of Instacart's code deployed in Q2 was AI-assisted, contributing to operational efficiency and cost savings.
- AI is used to automate code reviews, reduce tech debt, and improve non-technical functions, enhancing overall business performance.

Instacart+ Membership Engagement:
- Instacart+ membership penetration as a percentage of overall MAU continued to grow, with engaged members shopping at multiple retailers and showing higher retention compared to the previous year.
- This increase in engagement is attributed to the addition of new product offerings, including restaurants and lower basket minimums, which make the service more valuable and accessible to customers.