UNITED STATES - Cities throughout the country have been courting Amazon executives in the hopes of becoming the new home of the retailer’s coveted HQ2. The e-commerce giant and Whole Foods parent has said it will invest upwards of $5 billion in the new campus, and it is by no means taking the decision lightly.
Executives from the retailer are combing the U.S., according to The Wall Street Journal, and have, at the time of the report, visited 10 of the 20 finalists.
“We were concerned that if we went over the top, it would push them away,” a person involved in one site visit told WSJ when the news source reported that the usual high-end hotel accommodations and visits with governors that locations might employ to vie for such a project have not been the choice for Amazon’s HQ2.
Some of the preliminaries the company has requested in its visits with city officials have included:
- Standardized test scores of high-school students
- Visits to the sites it is considering
- That all visits not go over a two-day period
So what are some of the key strategies cities are using to woo Amazon? All hopefuls are loath to give up any secrets, understandably, but the source did say that showcasing a draw to younger consumer and employee bases are among the creative styles of courtship.
Inviting university officials, younger speakers, and millennial professionals were strategies some employed. Others offered Amazon execs a look around trendier neighborhoods, and others even took Amazon execs around by boat or bike.
As for narrowing the list? Even those not as stoked on being chosen, like Denver, whose officials reported “a sense of relief” would be felt if they were not selected, cannot be crossed off, according to CNBC. Amazon, as usual, is playing close to the chest.
AndNowUKnow will continue to report as the retail giant narrows its search for HQ2.
