Amazon has changed everything about the way we shop, and how we assess the value of cities. A survey of Amazon-friendly cities compiled by online marketing firm Digital Third Coast puts Houston at number thirteen on their list, behind top three Los Angeles, San Francisco and Phoenix.
Rankings are based on the number of Amazon services available in each city as Amazon expands beyond just online orders and moves into brick and mortar locations.
Houston, for example, boasts three Amazon pop-up stores; five Whole Foods and 14 Kohl’s stores – which they own; 363 restaurants you have meals delivered from; one Prime Now hub, where they manage same day one-to-two hour deliveries.
Houston doesn’t rank higher, in part, because we don’t have two-hour alcohol deliveries.
Dallas, ranked ninth, has two hour deliveries from Whole Foods, while we beat out Austin at number 20 though they have a bookstore AND Whole Foods two-hour deliveries. We have a little more of everything else.
Dallas and Austin are still in the running for Amazon’s 2nd headquarters.