Sent Items #214: The "Home Stretch"

Welcome back to Sent Items. It is December 14th. If you work in logistics, you are currently powered by 90% caffeine and 10% sheer willpower. We are in the final lap of Peak Season —> cutoffs are looming, tracking numbers are being refreshed aggressively, and we’re all just praying the weather holds (though it’s a high of 22F today in Nashville 😫

While you were busy trying to explain to a customer why their package is currently enjoying a scenic tour of a distribution center in Ohio, the industry kept moving. Thoma Bravo decided to casually merge half the 3PL market into a $12B giant, and Shopify dropped their "Winter '26" edition (because who needs 2025, right?)

If you need a break from refresh-spamming your dashboard, I sat down last week for Matt's Chats with some heavy hitters: Mo Afshar (Pipe17), Izzy Rosenzweig (Portless), and Madeline Hart (Ilia Beauty). We gazed into the crystal ball for 2026, debated whether "work-life balance" is a myth, and unpacked why hyper-local fulfillment might be the only way to get your skincare routine and your lunch delivered simultaneously. Check it out here:

Grab another coffee (or something stronger). We’re almost there.

Now onto some headlines…

Thoma Bravo Eyes $12B Shipping Tech Giant via Merger Private equity powerhouse Thoma Bravo is reportedly orchestrating a massive merger to create a new logistics technology firm valued at nearly $12 billion. According to Bloomberg, the deal involves merging WWEX Group (the parent company of Worldwide Express, GlobalTranz, and Unishippers) with another major industry player to consolidate the fragmented third-party logistics (3PL) market. If completed, the combined entity would become one of the largest non-asset-based logistics platforms in North America. Source: Bloomberg

Shopify "Winter '26 Editions" Drops with 150+ Updates Shopify released its semi-annual product showcase this week, dubbed "Winter '26 Editions." The headline feature is Agentic Storefronts, a new tool allowing merchants to syndicate their product catalogs directly into AI platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity, letting consumers discover and buy products within conversational AI interfaces. Other updates include Shopify Rollouts (native A/B testing) and significant upgrades to Sidekick, their AI assistant now capable of editing themes and building apps through conversation. Source: Shopify News

Amazon Logistics Volume Nears Parity with USPS New data from the Pitney Bowes Parcel Shipping Index released this week shows just how close Amazon is to becoming the largest carrier in the U.S. by volume. In 2024, Amazon Logistics delivered 6.3 billion parcels, narrowly trailing the USPS at 6.9 billion. With Amazon currently growing its volume faster than the Postal Service, analysts predict Amazon will overtake USPS as the undisputed #1 carrier by volume as early as 2026—adding fuel to the fire regarding their potential contract split. Source: AJOT

Must-Read: The "De Minimis" Reality Check Aaron Rubin (CEO of ShipHero) posted a critical analysis on LinkedIn this week regarding the "dollar amount collected from Chinese activity" versus the actual volume of goods entering the U.S. He highlights the massive discrepancy caused by the Section 321 (De Minimis) loophole, noting that while tariff revenue data might show one story, the sheer volume of un-taxed packages flooding fulfillment networks tells a completely different one. It’s a crucial read for anyone moving freight cross-border. Source: Aaron Rubin via LinkedIn

Amazon Drivers in NYC Announce Unionization In a major labor development, over 200 drivers at Amazon’s DBK1 facility in Woodside, Queens, announced on December 9 that they are unionizing with the Teamsters. The drivers, employed by a third-party Delivery Service Partner (DSP), marched on management to demand recognition, better safety standards, and higher pay. This marks a significant escalation in the Teamsters' strategy to organize Amazon's last-mile network in key metropolitan hubs. Source: QNS

Have a great week!

- Matt

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