# CarParts.com scaled partner logistics from $45M to $50M run rate in 90 days using third-party last-mile capacity

*The online auto-parts retailer turned A-Premium from vendor into distribution channel, adding $5M quarterly without new warehouses.*

By **Jenny Huang Goodman MPA MSc MHSA, Principal** — The Stash Edge, Hako Shikin LLC.
Published 2026-08-17.

Canonical: https://www.pops4.com/stash/articles/carpartscom-a-premium-partnership-2026-08-17t03-2
Subject: CarParts.com (A-Premium partnership)
Tags: distribution, logistics, partnership, fulfillment, automotive, third-party

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CarParts.com moved its A-Premium partnership from **$45 million** annualized run rate in Q1 2026 to **$50 million** in Q2 2026, according to Seeking Alpha reporting on the company's investor disclosures. The $5 million quarterly step-up came from routing A-Premium orders through the supplier's own last-mile network instead of handling fulfillment in-house. The company separately disclosed a target of **300,000 packages** moving through partner last-mile by year-end, a signal that third-party logistics now anchor the growth model.

CarParts.com repositioned A-Premium from parts supplier to logistics partner. Orders placed on CarParts.com for A-Premium SKUs now ship direct from A-Premium facilities, bypassing CarParts.com warehouses. The retailer collects the customer transaction and margin, A-Premium collects fulfillment fees and avoids wholesale discount, and the customer receives a part routed from the nearest A-Premium node. The model converts a vendor relationship into a distribution asset without capital outlay for new square footage.

The mechanism works because automotive aftermarket suffers from density: a single SKU may sell once per quarter in a given metro, making dedicated inventory uneconomical. A-Premium already holds that inventory for its own direct business. By letting CarParts.com tap that stock, both parties solve a coverage problem—CarParts.com gains catalog depth, A-Premium gains order volume—and the customer sees the item as in-network. The partnership scales on software integration, not warehouse leases. Each new supplier added to the model expands addressable catalog without corresponding rent or labor.

The steal for a small physical-product brand: identify a supplier or manufacturer who already ships direct to consumers in your category. Propose a pass-through arrangement where you list their SKUs on your site, collect the order, and route fulfillment to them for a per-unit fee or rev-share. The supplier gets incremental volume without customer acquisition cost. You get catalog breadth without inventory risk. Start with one supplier and five high-demand SKUs they stock but you do not. Build the API handoff—order placed on your domain triggers an automated fulfillment request to theirs. Negotiate a **60/40** or **70/30** margin split after shipping cost, depending on who owns the customer file long-term. Run it for 90 days. If the supplier ships **500 units** in that window, you've validated the model and can recruit the next supplier with proof.

Physical-product companies default to owning every link in the chain. CarParts.com isolated the highest-cost link—last-mile delivery and warehouse footprint—and outsourced it to a partner who already bore that cost. The quarter-over-quarter acceleration from **$45M to $50M** and the **300,000-package** target confirm the model scales faster than vertical integration. For brands with supplier relationships and decent site traffic, the same handoff converts vendor into infrastructure.

## The takeaway

CarParts.com grew $5M in one quarter by routing orders through a supplier's last-mile network instead of buying warehouses.

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## Publisher

**Hako Shikin LLC** — Virginia Beach, Virginia. Founded 1997. ASI 217876 · DUNS 18-204-6339.
Principal and author: **Jenny Huang Goodman MPA MSc MHSA**.

- Author: https://www.huanggoodman.com/about
- LLM context: https://www.pops4.com/stash/llms.txt
- MCP endpoint, for AI agents: https://mcp.pops4.com/mcp
- Client dashboard: https://dashboard.pops4.com/
- Catalogue: 70,000+ products, 200+ brands