In partnership with
TODAY’S MAZE
Happy Monday! TikTok Shop is tightening the reins on logistics, issuing a strict ultimatum that effectively ends seller-managed shipping next month. The platform is mandating approved fulfillment partners immediately, signaling a major pivot toward centralized control.
It’s a strategic bet on operational rigor, aiming to rival Amazon’s delivery reliability. But can sellers handle the sudden four-week migration sprint without destroying their profitability?
In today’s MarketMaze focus:
TikTok ends seller shipping
PayPal enters ad wars
Physical retail stores rebound
Poland’s commerce growth surge
Southeast Asia market matures
+Handpicked recent news you need to know
LET’S ENTER THE MAZE!
- Artur Stańczuk, MarketMaze Founder
MAZE STORY
The Maze: TikTok Shop will discontinue seller-managed shipping on February 25, forcing US merchants to utilize approved fulfillment partners or risk immediate exclusion from the platform.
The policy restricts 3PLs from using independent shipping accounts, forcing providers to integrate with TikTok's systems or exit the platform's fulfillment ecosystem entirely.
Approved tech stacks now include AfterShip and ShipHero, a move that closely mirrors Amazon's infrastructure model by centralizing strict control over inventory and delivery timelines.
Sellers face a four-week sprint to migrate inventory or upgrade software, with early reports suggesting the platform's native FBT service may carry higher costs than legacy options.
Why it matters: TikTok is trading early-stage flexibility for operational rigor, betting that enforcing a controlled logistics layer is the only way to compete with Amazon on reliability and customer trust.
How will TikTok’s move to restrict shipping to approved fulfillment partners most likely change the US TikTok Shop marketplace over the next 12 months?
- 📉 Lower seller count (fewer active US merchants due to higher entry barriers)
- 📈 Higher buyer trust (more consistent delivery times and order reliability)
- 💰 Higher seller costs (fees rising compared to independent shipping options)
- 🧱 Amazon-like model (closer alignment with Amazon-style logistics control)
- ⚖️ Mixed outcome (better reliability but slower seller growth overall)
- Other (write to us specifics by responding to this email)
FROM OUR PARTNERS
Want to get the most out of ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is a superpower if you know how to use it correctly.
Discover how HubSpot's guide to AI can elevate both your productivity and creativity to get more things done.
Learn to automate tasks, enhance decision-making, and foster innovation with the power of AI.
MAZE STORY
The Maze: PayPal is leveraging transaction data from 400 million active accounts to launch a commerce media network, offering advertisers targeting capabilities based on cross-merchant purchase history spanning 30% of global transactions.
SVP Mark Grether notes this transaction graph connects data from Venmo, Honey, and checkout to track shoppers across 30 million merchants, differentiating it from single-retailer networks.
New "storefront ads" enable one-click purchases directly within ad units, addressing the 72% of marketers planning to increase AI usage to capture demand on interfaces like ChatGPT.
The initiative targets a booming sector projected to exceed $1.3 trillion by 2030, transforming transactional environments like delivery apps and booking platforms into high-performing digital channels.
Why it matters: Retailers gain access to shopper intent data beyond their own walls, challenging Amazon's dominance by following consumers across the open web. This marks a critical shift from platform-specific metrics to holistic purchase identity.
FROM OUR PARTNERS
Your Boss Will Think You’re an Ecom Genius
Optimizing for growth? Go-to-Millions is Ari Murray’s ecommerce newsletter packed with proven tactics, creative that converts, and real operator insights—from product strategy to paid media. No mushy strategy. Just what’s working. Subscribe free for weekly ideas that drive revenue.
MAZE STORY
The Maze: High-street investment is accelerating in 2026 as retailers pivot back to brick-and-mortar strategies to capture foot traffic. This resurgence reverses 2025’s slowdown, driven by growth in retail openings across mass-market and at-home categories.
Transaction volume in urban corridors surged 82% last year, prompting giants like Uniqlo to purchase a part of its flagship on Fifth Avenue to hedge against rent hikes.
While luxury sectors contract, mass-market brands are seizing prime inventory, exemplified by Uniqlo taking over a former Old Navy flagship store in downtown San Francisco.
Digitally native entrants like Frank & Eileen are shedding lease skittishness and signing 10-year commitments, valuing high-traffic locations as essential customer engagement hubs.
Why it matters: Brands now treat physical locations as high-velocity acquisition channels rather than just distribution points. Securing prime real estate offers a hedge against volatile digital customer acquisition costs and rising commercial rents.
DATA TREASURE
The Maze: Poland is entering 2026 with rare momentum. Strong GDP growth creates a window where demand, investment, and confidence reinforce each other, especially in commerce and logistics.
Poland is forecast to grow 3.5% in 2026, far above the EU average of 1.4%, putting it ahead of larger economies that now move slower and invest more cautiously.
Growth is powered by EU-funded investment, which usually shows up first in warehouses, automation, and last mile capacity that directly improves e-commerce conversion and retention.
Consumption stays positive but disciplined, creating a sweet spot for marketplaces that win on value, availability, and delivery reliability rather than pure discounting.
Why it matters: Faster growth markets reward early movers. Platforms and sellers that scale fulfillment and selection now can lock in share before competition and expectations fully catch up.
DATA TREASURE
The Maze: Southeast Asia is entering its second e-commerce decade. Growth slows in percentage terms but accelerates in dollars, shifting the game from land grab to execution.
The market is expected to grow from ~$180B in 2025 to ~$650B by 2035, with annual growth settling near 14%, lower than before but on a much larger base.
As first-time buyers become repeat buyers, winners will be decided by fulfillment cost, fraud control, returns, and seller productivity, not by who shouts loudest.
Slower growth favors big platforms that can spread logistics and tech costs, pushing the market toward fewer, stronger ecosystems with embedded ads and creator commerce.
Why it matters: This is where operational discipline replaces hype. Brands and platforms that master unit economics now will own the next decade of value, not just volume.
BRIEFING
🏬 Everything else in Ecommerce & Big Tech
🌍 eBay updated its affiliate and site terms to explicitly prohibit AI agents from executing purchases on behalf of users.
🇺🇸 TikTok reportedly sees the threat of a US ban dissipate as the platform restructures its American operations.
🇺🇸 Luxury brands pivot to high-net-worth US shoppers for growth, aiming to offset broader stagnation with a forecasted 5-6% business boost.
🇮🇳 Kidbea targets 100 exclusive outlets across India in the next two years, starting with a new bamboo-based kidswear store in Pune.
🌍 Impact.com hit $270M in revenue, having powered nearly $120 billion in sales driven by a 51% jump in creator-led transactions.
🇺🇸 SerpApi argues against Google's lawsuit that traffic controls do not constitute copyright protection in a battle defining public data access.
🌍 Wunderkind revealed in its 2026 guide that traditional email service providers struggle to identify the vast majority of anonymous site visitors.
SHARE THE MAZE
Your network thinks you’re as smart as the content you share. Share smarter stuff and help us grow. Win–win. Here’s what you get when friends join the Maze:
Here is your unique referral link to share with friends:
and link to the hub to check your progress.
THAT’S IT FOR TODAY!
You’re the reason our team spends hundreds of hours every week researching and writing this email. Please let us know what you thought of today’s email to help us create better emails for you.
What do you think of this issue?
If you enjoyed it please share it with a friend, or share it on LinkedIn and tag me (Artur Stańczuk), I’d love to engage and amplify!
If this was forwarded by a friend you can subscribe below for $0 👇
See you next time in the maze!
MarketMaze team
