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Instacart Is Using AI to Track Down Out-of-Stock Items

Instacart is enhancing its inventory tracking system with AI-powered tools like Store View and Second Store Check.
ByCaLea Johnson|
Instacart is combating out-of-stock annoyances two steps at a time.
Instacart is combating out-of-stock annoyances two steps at a time. | SOPA Images/GettyImages

Instacart has become part of many people’s routines. Statista reports it’s one of the top grocery delivery companies in the United States and Canada, generating over $850 million in revenue from the U.S. alone in the third quarter of 2024. The delivery app is a time-saver, but using it can be a gamble if the product you want is out of stock. Now, the popular delivery service is making changes to address this issue.  

Food & Wine reports that Instacart is releasing two new AI features: Store View and Second Store Check. The former is meant to improve the company’s current inventory prediction technology and keep up with inventory updates using video data. Footage of grocery store aisles will be recorded by eligible Instacart workers on the job; the AI tool will then review the videos to come up with accurate inventory counts.

Second Store Check is a tool that goes the extra mile when customers can’t find the item they want and don’t want a substitute. In this case, the Instacart app will notify another worker at a different store location to look for the out-of-stock product. 

Instacart’s press release explains that one of the biggest challenges in the grocery industry is keeping up with inventory because there are usually over 30,000 items in a single store. An ECR Retail Loss Group report shows that up to 60 percent of inventory records have errors, leading to unsatisfied shoppers and fewer purchases. The authors also share that correcting these inaccuracies can lead to a four to eight percent increase in sales.

Instacart shares that Store View will be released with select retailers over the next few weeks. The company also has plans to expand the feature to more U.S. grocers and Canadian stores throughout the year. 

This wouldn’t be the first time Instacart has experimented with AI. The company launched Caper Carts, its AI-powered shopping baskets, in 2024. They come with cameras, a scale, and sensors to detect what’s placed in the carts. Instacart also released Smart Shop, a dietary recommendation feature, in March 2025.

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