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Amazon is looking for a 2nd headquarter city, a 'full equal to Seattle'

JasperL said:
I agree with that for the most part but the bottom line is it's ridiculous that a local mom and pop or Sears in my area has to charge and collect 9.25% sales tax on every purchase, but I can buy the same thing online and evade the tax. So online merchant starts with a 9.25% price advantage because the system encourages tax fraud. I still OWE the tax but no state enforced it except in big purchases like cars or furniture.

A friend owned a fly shop and he was killed by it. Guys would come in his store, try out 6 different top-end rods he had in stock, decide which one they wanted, then go home and buy it online and save $40-50 in sales tax, another $30 on the expensive reel and pay $10 in shipping. He knew it happened because guys would come in later with a brand new rod, and pay him a pittance to to install the backing and the fly line. So he makes $3 on the sale instead of $400 or whatever, and those occasional big sales is what he HAD to have to stay in business. The tax system shouldn't provide online retailers that kind of advantage over local businesses hiring local people and keeping the money in the local economy.

I've had discussions with others who say, "Well, that guy should have embraced the Internet!" Possibly true, but irrelevant. What he should be able to do is compete on a level playing field with online retailers and the best one win without the government providing one side with a nearly 10% pricing head start.
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I have to pay 14.995% on all my purchases along with Amazon.ca's much smaller selection and yet it is still more popular here than any of these other stores. Same in Europe, it is not sales taxes that makes Amazon better. Amazon is both cheaper (even with sales taxes) and more convenient.
 
Carjosse said:
I have to pay 14.995% on all my purchases along with Amazon.ca's much smaller selection and yet it is still more popular here than any of these other stores. Same in Europe, it is not sales taxes that makes Amazon better. Amazon is both cheaper (even with sales taxes) and more convenient.
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Well, sometimes it's better and more convenient and sometimes it's not. Depends on the product. With my friend selling rods and reels, Amazon loses on everything but the ability to illegally evade taxes. All I'm suggesting is that sellers in the U.S. should be competing on a level playing field.
 
Carjosse said:
Real estate in Seattle is probably getting too expensive to expand further.
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I'll bet the new minimum wage is in play too.

Build elsewhere, then claim they don't need two HQ's like they thought.
 
Lord of Planar said:
I'll bet the new minimum wage is in play too.

Build elsewhere, then claim they don't need two HQ's like they thought.
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Well the people working at their HQ are not minimum wage workers. They are administrators and developers.
 
Carjosse said:
Well the people working at their HQ are not minimum wage workers. They are administrators and developers.
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Who very likely use goods/services provided by low wage workers.
 
Carjosse said:
Well the people working at their HQ are not minimum wage workers. They are administrators and developers.
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If that's the case, it's possible they want to move to a labor pool with an excess of executive and engineering types. The supply and demand in the Seattle area makes these higher than average pay jobs I bet.
 
99percenter said:
Funny how they eliminated Chicago in the first round. Not that Denver is a bad pick but the methodology they used is flawed.
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Is that unusual for the NY Slimes?
 
Bucky said:
I have seen the damage Amazon has caused. Good companies like Sears, Macy's, JC Penny, etc... are going under because of Amazon's unfair advantage.
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Boo hoo. Tech advances have advantages and disadvantages. The key to surviving the disadvantages is adapting. Sears and Macys and JC Penny didn't adapt and couldn't hack it, so down they go.

Survival of the fittest. Corporate Darwinism in action.
 
99percenter said:
Funny how they eliminated Chicago in the first round. Not that Denver is a bad pick but the methodology they used is flawed.
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To be fair everyone expects the potential host cities/states to get into a bidding war for Amazon's good graces. And as the article mentions, Illinois finances are a mess. Which means it is very doubtful Chicago will be able to get into any bidding war.
 
Roadvirus said:
Boo hoo. Tech advances have advantages and disadvantages. The key to surviving the disadvantages is adapting. Sears and Macys and JC Penny didn't adapt and couldn't hack it, so down they go.

Survival of the fittest. Corporate Darwinism in action.
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One word: Monopoly.
 
Redress said:
I think we should change BC and AD to BA and AA. BA was back when things where primitive, AA was the advent of modern civilization.
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There is only one B.A. and Mr. T don't look kindly on your idea!


He gonna bust you up.
 
SenorXm/Sirius said:
To be fair everyone expects the potential host cities/states to get into a bidding war for Amazon's good graces. And as the article mentions, Illinois finances are a mess. Which means it is very doubtful Chicago will be able to get into any bidding war.
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Well if there is one thing illinois is good at, it's spending money they don't have.
 
99percenter said:
Well if there is one thing illinois is good at, it's spending money they don't have.
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Yeah, but in this case that's not a very good sales pitch. We're talking BILLIONS in subsidies and tax breaks.

Amazon is sitting at the table with representatives from Chicago/Illinois and reps 1st words are---- 'We're broke but'.................. I don't think that's going to work. ;)
 
Hawkeye10 said:
It is past time to bust Amazon up.....
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Well said; these are the kind of guys we really have to watch. I've worked for Amazon, and it is NOT a good place.

These are the kind of companies that are seriously monopolizing by buying everything in sight.
 
Shockingly reading about this alot of articles claim pirrsburgh is a top considered city? I have no idea why really. Dont get me wrong tech companies have been coming here big time and the city is mostly medical and tech but the burgh is only around 3-400K and i read theyd like it to be a million. Also with are airport down grad over the years i think thats a con too. I mean amazon comes here im sure the airport automatically gets upgraded in a year or two but still.

I think Atlanta maybe a good choose to simply because of geographical location. I dont think it makes sense to have HQ2 anywhere near HQ one so in my opinion the whole west coast and middle america is out.

Who knows with uber, google and apple here already having amazon would be amazing but i dont see it.
 
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