Stockouts may be the bane of grocery shoppers, but they’re also a billion-dollar headache for consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies. Instacart thinks it has a fix—and it just signed on Advantage Solutions to make it happen.

The two companies have announced a strategic partnership aimed at transforming in-store execution for CPGs. The deal combines Instacart’s technology and scale with Advantage’s field execution muscle to give brands real-time visibility into shelf conditions and the ability to act on them almost immediately.

Shoppers as Auditors

The model hinges on Instacart’s 600,000-strong shopper community. Using Instacart’s audit tech, shoppers can check availability, pricing, placement, and display execution while they’re in stores. Those insights don’t just get filed away—they trigger alerts to Advantage’s retail field teams, who can swoop in to fix issues ranging from empty shelves to missing displays.

Once the problem is resolved, Instacart shoppers validate the fix, giving brands proof of performance without the guesswork. For CPGs, that closes the loop: instant detection, immediate resolution, and verifiable results.

Why It Matters

Managing in-store execution is notoriously complex—and expensive. Out-of-stocks cost retailers and brands billions in lost sales annually, while inconsistent displays erode marketing spend. For Instacart, this is a logical expansion beyond delivery into supply chain visibility, turning its shopper base into a data and compliance engine.

“Managing in-store inventory is one of the most costly and complex challenges in grocery, and when products aren’t on shelves, everyone loses,” said Andrew Nodes, VP and GM of Instacart Business & Supply Chain. “We’re giving CPGs real-time data and insights to spot issues faster, act immediately, and do so in an expansive, yet affordable way.”

Advantage CEO Dave Peacock added: “By combining Instacart’s shopper community and technology with Advantage’s relentless retail execution and industry connectivity, we’re helping CPGs ensure greater on-shelf availability, fewer out-of-stocks, and stronger display compliance.”

Early Results, Bigger Ambitions

The companies have already piloted the model, with plans to scale in 2026. While neither has shared hard metrics yet, the integration could redefine how brands handle shelf visibility at scale—especially as grocers push for tighter supply chain efficiency and omnichannel consistency.

Industry Context

The partnership comes as retailers and CPGs double down on retail media networks and data-driven merchandising. Rivals like NielsenIQ and IRI have long offered in-store insights, but Instacart’s advantage is speed: audits can happen in near real-time, powered by a workforce already in stores for other reasons. Advantage brings the boots-on-the-ground expertise to translate alerts into immediate action.

If the rollout works as promised, this partnership could shrink one of retail’s most persistent blind spots—turning Instacart from a grocery delivery app into a serious player in supply chain intelligence.

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