My guess about OKC Petro's comment is that he/she was referring in some way to the structural changes in the economy. Amazon in the aggregate is taking business away from local retail. And it's not unique to OK and it's not OK's fault. It's a structural change in the economy. Amazon will employ a couple hundred people at $12/hour and at the same time, over the next few years, a few dozen local stores will close due to the "Amazon effect." The fact is it will ultimately be a loss to the city over time. I mean it's fine that Amazon is in OKC instead of Tulsa or Lawton or Enid but let's not pretend that ultimately it's a "net plus" to our economy.

It's not like opening these sorting facilities will somehow create more of the Amazon effect than they would if they didn't open here. So yes, I'd posit that it's a net plus to the economy vs them not opening these facilities here.

I'm sorry, I have no idea what that last post by me meant. I'm sure I had something in mind when I wrote it but it doesn't make sense in the light of day. Sorry. It was time for bed when I wrote that!

No worries, it didn't exactly make sense in the dark of night either.

As much as Fallin would love to take credit, she had little if anything to do with it, and it's quite the opposite. They're not here so they can collect local tax, they are collecting local tax because they are now here.

See post number 12. That is not a lucky guess by Pete.

Kinda playing devil's advocate here, but most of the stuff I buy on Amazon is stuff I would've bought at Walmart or some other large retailer. Or I buy stuff that is not readily available at other places. I know that not everyone has my buying habits but it seems to me that Amazon is more of a threat to Walmart than to local stores. But I could be wrong.
-1

I look to Amazon to fulfil all the specialty items that I cannot find due to lack of existence of specialty retailers and contractors. I have bought everything from light fixtures to home theater setups, 70" flat screens, lithium batteries in bulk, furniture. I have a love/hate relationship. I love instant access to the product I want within 48-72hrs of purchase at the rock bottom price. But I hate that it creates instability in the local economy. I would purchase local for a premium of I was guaranteed access to the product but more often than not my options are: no local option at all, corporate box store, a local retailer that has a comparable product that I must compromise on, or "I don't have one in stock, but I could order it, it would be here in 5-8 business days."(in which case it is slower and more expensive than just using Amazon)

The biggest point is: it creates an environment where local stores can't exist. For example. Where is our hi-fi store? Where can I go buy a power supply for my rega turntable today? Or buy a pair of cans and a headphone amp?

I mostly buy crap I don't need that I wouldn't have sought out to buy locally anyway. :D

See post number 12. That is not a lucky guess by Pete.

OK, fine, you win. Mary Fallin personally brought Amazon here, and they only came here because, through her singular fortitude, she convinced them to voluntarily collect taxes that no law was forcing them to collect. It absolutely positively is not the opposite, that now that they have a physical presence, the law does indeed force them to collect it. No sirree Bob.

Hail Fallin.

I feel that Amazon competes with people who were only going to look on the web anyway. I doubt this will have much negative effect on local retailers, as a DC will only really be improving delivery times for Prime customers, it could be argued that those customers are not even local retailers customers to lose.

The net negative effects of amazon on the economy and the part they play in the erosion of independent businesses are already well documented. The presence of this facility probably won't compound that in any way. If anything, it's just a small band aid locally that doesn't offset the total negative impact they've had to date. In the end, the damage is already done and will continue whether they have a facility here or not.

https://ilsr.org/amazonfacts/


4. Amazon drains dollars from local economies.

Amazon provides virtually no jobs or economic benefits to the vast majority of communities from which it derives its revenue. This stands in stark contrast to local retailers. Several case studies have found that about $45 of every $100 you spend at locally owned stores stays in your community, supporting other businesses and jobs. (Local retailers buy many goods and services, like printing and accounting, from other local businesses; their employees spend most of their earnings locally; and so on.)

While the figure for national chain stores is considerably smaller, it’s almost zero for Amazon. In most cities and towns, save for a small amount paid to delivery drivers and perhaps a few third-party sellers using Amazon’s platform, all of the money residents spend at Amazon leaves their local economy, never to return.

So, basically, the money already being drained out of the local economy by Amazon will not suddenly come back because of this facility, but I guess it's just about getting whatever you can at this point.

The biggest point is: it creates an environment where local stores can't exist. For example. Where is our hi-fi store? Where can I go buy a power supply for my rega turntable today? Or buy a pair of cans and a headphone amp?

That world doesn't exist anymore and hasn't for a long time. When stores like Circuit City started to falter in the late '90s that world was going away well before Amazon had become what it is today. Even when Circuit City type stores were viable it still wasn't local, it was just a big box retailer.

This isn't related to Amazon, but I had thought I'd seen something on it, but can't find it now, but there is also dirt moving South of the Bridgestone school and I was curious what that was going to be.

That world doesn't exist anymore and hasn't for a long time. When stores like Circuit City started to falter in the late '90s that world was going away well before Amazon had become what it is today. Even when Circuit City type stores were viable it still wasn't a local, it was just a big box retailer.

Part of the trouble with headphones, or any good audio equipment really, is that the target market is relatively small. Most people have been brainwashed into thinking that Bose is the Gold Standard for high-end audio, which is rather hilarious when you think about how poor the products actually are.

Further, it's almost impossible for even a big box retailer, like Best Buy, to stock all of the possible iterations of headphones from Shure, Grado, Beyerdynamic, Fostex, Sennheiser, etc. Not to mention, it's likely difficult for those players to compete for planogram space with the likes of Beats, Skullcandy, Bose, etc. If you are into high-end audio, the Internet or a boutique store in a Big League City is your only ticket, IMO.

This isn't related to Amazon, but I had thought I'd seen something on it, but can't find it now, but there is also dirt moving South of the Bridgestone school and I was curious what that was going to be.

The land was recently purchased from Bridgestone (the former plant is due south) by a construction company in Kansas, but I can't find any permits for the work.

It's easy to think that Amazon is successful because of their monster logistics network. But it's way more than that. For each product you click on, there are multiple pictures, a detailed description, an accessible Q&A with the seller of the product, and honest reviews, among tons of other information. It's just an excellent decision making tool.

Compare that to a local shop's amateur Facebook page or non-existent web presence. A lot of us don't have time during the work week to strike out at a storefront when a completely reliable option exists.

The net negative effects of amazon on the economy and the part they play in the erosion of independent businesses are already well documented. The presence of this facility probably won't compound that in any way. If anything, it's just a small band aid locally that doesn't offset the total negative impact they've had to date. In the end, the damage is already done and will continue whether they have a facility here or not.

https://ilsr.org/amazonfacts/



So, basically, the money already being drained out of the local economy by Amazon will not suddenly come back because of this facility, but I guess it's just about getting whatever you can at this point.

The $40 bucks that stays in the community at a regular store is also the $40 I save by shopping at Amazon. So I can pay $100 at Walmart, with $60 going to corporate, or just pay Amazon corporate $60 directly. The $40 I keep in my pocket now gets spend locally by myself vs being spend locally by Walmart.

It's easy to think that Amazon is successful because of their monster logistics network. But it's way more than that. For each product you click on, there are multiple pictures, a detailed description, an accessible Q&A with the seller of the product, and honest reviews, among tons of other information. It's just an excellent decision making tool.

Compare that to a local shop's amateur Facebook page or non-existent web presence. A lot of us don't have time during the work week to strike out at a storefront when a completely reliable option exists.

I know for me there has been quite a few times where I was actually inside a physical store, staring at two boxes that don't tell me all that much, while browsing Amazon to read reviews and get information for the product in front of me, information I couldn't get from the store itself.

Speaking of Amazon, here's something interesting that I just got notice of in my email:

13677

Speaking of Amazon, here's something interesting that I just got notice of in my email:

13677

I'm a prime member and noticed that the other day as well. However, I tried to order some coffee which only came out to $16 and it said I had to spend $35 to get the free one-day shipping, otherwise it would be an extra $3.99 to do one-day shipping.

I'm a prime member and noticed that the other day as well. However, I tried to order some coffee which only came out to $16 and it said I had to spend $35 to get the free one-day shipping, otherwise it would be an extra $3.99 to do one-day shipping.

Yup. $35 is their minimum for free one day (or same day if we eventually get that here) shipping.

The $40 bucks that stays in the community at a regular store is also the $40 I save by shopping at Amazon. So I can pay $100 at Walmart, with $60 going to corporate, or just pay Amazon corporate $60 directly. The $40 I keep in my pocket now gets spend locally by myself vs being spend locally by Walmart.

You save 40% on all your amazon purchases you could have made locally!? No wonder Amazon doesn't post profits very often. :p

Also, shopping at Wal-Mart isn't going to keep much more money in the local economy, it just won't be zero like often is the case with Amazon. So, if it is between Wal-Mart and Amazon, the difference is probably negligible.

Here's a simple summary of other studies. It works well for you, but in the aggregate, it hasn't been shown to be the case.

https://ilsr.org/before-you-click-infographic/

And since you mentioned it, here's a fun comparison between shopping at Wal-Mart and Amazon:

http://lifehacker.com/is-it-actually-cheaper-to-order-everything-from-amazon-1451086140

Well, there is a difference between "shopping local" and "shopping at an independent retailer".

If my choose is Amazon vs Big Box, it's Amazon 95% of the time for me. With actual local independent retailers, I often choose the local guys. Homebrewing supplies: local store. Board games: local store. I also like to go to the local toy stores for fun toys for the preschooler and baby. There are also the same stores where you fill a knowledgeable person helping you rather than an "associate" who happens to be detailed to whatever particular department you find yourself in.

The $40 bucks that stays in the community at a regular store is also the $40 I save by shopping at Amazon. So I can pay $100 at Walmart, with $60 going to corporate, or just pay Amazon corporate $60 directly. The $40 I keep in my pocket now gets spend locally by myself vs being spend locally by Walmart.

Or you know, you can price match at Wal-Mart. Or Best Buy. They both price match to Amazon.

Or you know, you can price match at Wal-Mart. Or Best Buy. They both price match to Amazon.

But then I would have to go to a Walmart or Best Buy...

But then I would have to go to a Walmart or Best Buy...

At least they employ locally, pay property taxes, corporate franchise taxes, and collect sales tax (which now Amazon does). The average associate wage in Oklahoma at Wal-Mart is $12.50 an hour. Wal-Mart has 50,000 employees in Oklahoma. All of whom also pay taxes on those wages. If the employees average 25 hours a week (which I think is low), you're talking $8,125,00,000 in wages paid out to Oklahomans, who spend that money largely in state.

I don't like Wal-Mart and prefer to never shop there. But there is a difference in how the spending at one vs the other affects the community.

I don't go to Walmart, period. I do my household shopping at Target, Aldi, Uptown, and Sprouts.

Best Buy is a horrible shopping experience, and they don't get my business. I treat "shop local" the same way that I treat "buy American": I don't spend my money on bad products or bad experiences. A sense of duty only carries my shopping trends so far, but at some point it is up to a business to earn my money vs taking it for granted.

I don't go to Walmart, period. I do my household shopping at Target, Aldi, Uptown, and Sprouts.

Target price matches Amazon as well btw.


Best Buy is a horrible shopping experience, and they don't get my business. I treat "shop local" the same way that I treat "buy American": I don't spend my money on bad products or bad experiences. A sense of duty only carries my shopping trends so far, but at some point it is up to a business to earn my money vs taking it for granted.

That's a fair policy. I don't typically hit Best Buy because they're not convenient for me to get to but I've had good luck ordering something for store pickup and picking up from the service desk on the rare times I have.

I suppose I should be a better citizen and buy from Walmart instead of Amazon but I just look for the best deal. I recently bought a new vacuum and saved myself about $20 by buying Amazon instead of Walmart. And some things Walmart just doesn't have. I use a safety razor and on Amazon I can buy 100 Derby razor blades for 11 bucks.

I do like that they price match but I'm more likely to go ahead and click instead of going to Walmart, finding whoever it is that I need to talk to and show them the Amazon price so that I can get that item price matched there.

Prize is really not the main factor for me. Like I said previously, there are quite a few places where I gladly shop locally and support them over purchasing online even if it ends up costing me more money.

One of my hobbies is gaming, and I still spend way to much money on board games, tabletop miniatures, and RPG supplies. I can get them a lot cheaper online, but I prefer to shop at Game HQ and the new Storm Brew Games in Edmond. The people there know their product, they an recommend things, and they provide a space where I can also hangout and play with other people. i don't get that online, so I gladly spend some extra money to support a local business instead.

Homebrewing supplies are also a lot cheaper online, but I like being able to walk into a store and touch and smell the grains. I like being able to walk into a place and walk out 5 minutes later with the missing ingredient or equipment that would have ruined my brew day if I would have had to wait on a delivery instead. It is helpful to have someone who knows what they are doing at the store who can answer a question like "the recipe calls for this grain, but I want to make it little drier so what do you recommend to adjust the grain bill". I can ask questions online, but I can also walk into the store, ask it, get an answer, and then purchase the adjusted grains right there and walk out with them. So I gladly spend some extra money at that store to help keep it around.

Walmart just doesn't fit into that equation for me, no matter how many local people they may employ. I've been there twice at 2 am to do some grocery shopping over the past year when work was crazy and that was the only time I could go shopping and they were the only place open at the time. Both times there was no register open and when I asked someone about that I was directed to the self-check out lane with my cart full of groceries. Even if it's cheaper that another place, and employs local people, the overall value to me is just not worth it.

The shopping experience is part of the value for me, and at some point the experience just outweighs the other factors. There are quite a few local places where the price is higher, but the shopping experience is worth the extra price because I get knowledgeable staff and convenience. Other places have cheaper prices, but the staff is not knowledgeable, sometimes even aggressive in trying to "help" you, and frequently they are both. My last trip to Best Buy was to buy a CF memory card for my high end DSLR camera. The staff told me that nobody carries those anymore, that they are obsolete, and that I should buy a new better camera from them instead. I walked out of the store, and I haven't been back since. Meanwhile Canon still uses CF cards on their professional cameras. I would rather have no staff, than bossy and incompetent staff. That's why I rather pay more money at Carmax rather than deal with a dealer, although after 3 cars I recently found a good deal at Bob Moore Subaru and I have to admit that they gave me a good experience. I don't know that it helped that I emailed them with the exact car they had on their website that I wanted, but they didn't try to put any kind of pressure on me. Heck, I will drive for hours down to Ikea just so I don't have to deal with anybody breathing down my neck at the local furniture stores. I am certainly not above paying more money for a better experience :D.

Walmart and other Big Box stores just don't meet that criteria for me, no matter how local they may be.

Amazon has gone nationwide with adding sales tax. Guess Oklahoma could have just waited until April 1st with no laws passing! http://www.aftvnews.com/amazon-will-begin-collecting-sales-tax-nationwide-starting-april-1st/

Amazon has gone nationwide with adding sales tax. Guess Oklahoma could have just waited until April 1st with no laws passing! http://www.aftvnews.com/amazon-will-begin-collecting-sales-tax-nationwide-starting-april-1st/

I know everyone claims that the lack of sales tax doesn't influence them, but I've always called BS on that. The vast majority of people care about price more than anything else and 9% off the top is a pretty big price difference, especially on large purchases. Not requiring internet retailers to collect sales may have made since in 1995, but it's time has passed and its way past time to level the paying field.

I know everyone claims that the lack of sales tax doesn't influence them, but I've always called BS on that. The vast majority of people care about price more than anything else and 9% off the top is a pretty big price difference, especially on large purchases.

You are absolutely correct, price is important to me. Which is why I don't even blink an eye at paying 9% on top of Amazon's 25-50% lower prices.

You are absolutely correct, price is important to me. Which is why I don't even blink an eye at paying 9% on top of Amazon's 25-50% lower prices.

I'd really like to know what you are buying that is always 25-50% cheaper on Amazon. Basically books, movies, repair parts and diapers are the only things I know of that are consistently that much cheaper than local. A ton of stuff I buy is more expensive on Amazon or within a few bucks.

Leslies Pool quoted me $400 for four new pool filters the other day. I got them on Amazon for $180 total with Prime

I'd really like to know what you are buying that is always 25-50% cheaper on Amazon. Basically books, movies, repair parts and diapers are the only things I know of that are consistently that much cheaper than local. A ton of stuff I buy is more expensive on Amazon or within a few bucks.

I'm quite unable to recall having said ANYTHING was 'always' 25-50% cheaper. However, I do recall specific examples, which I have already posted here in the past. As have you and others.

Do you think it is possible, just possible, that someone that just agreed with you that price is often a factor, would purchase elsewhere if it were more expensive on Amazon? Or are you so enamored of the 'tax scofflaw' idea that you really think people go to Amazon and pay 25-50% MORE on items (their price for K-cups, for example, is a joke) just to stick it to 'the man'?

I'm quite unable to recall having said ANYTHING was 'always' 25-50% cheaper. However, I do recall specific examples, which I have already posted here in the past. As have you and others.

Do you think it is possible, just possible, that someone that just agreed with you that price is often a factor, would purchase elsewhere if it were more expensive on Amazon? Or are you so enamored of the 'tax scofflaw' idea that you really think people go to Amazon and pay 25-50% MORE on items (their price for K-cups, for example, is a joke) just to stick it to 'the man'?

I was disagreeing with the notion that Amazon was always 25-50% less than local. On many items, especially food, their prices are terrible. Great for some things though. I buy a lot from Amazon too, it just seems that some people have an unrealistic love affair with them.

Showrooming bothers me much more than the tax avoidance.

Showrooming bothers me much more than the tax avoidance.

Is showrooming where you go look at it in a store but buy it off Amazon.

yes

Is showrooming where you go look at it in a store but buy it off Amazon.

Yeah, it is one reason why shoes are usually do much cheaper on Amazon. There is a lot of labor in helping someone pick out shoes, only for then to turn around and buy them online.

Same for things like TVs that most people wouldn't buy unless they had seen them IRL.

I've done it too, but I try not to on things I wouldn't have bought without a B&M store. Especially since most will price match Amazon anyways.

Article in the Journal Record today that details the deal between Amazon and Governor Fallin's office about online tax collection in Oklahoma.

http://journalrecord.com/2017/03/30/amazon-tax-change-bodes-well-for-state/

I've had too many bad experiences buying shoes online. This is one of the few things I refuse to buy online anymore.

Cheap shoes I would otherwise pick up at Walmart: Amazon.

Running shoes: Red Coyote.

Which for me comes back to paying more for quality service and stafff with knowledge.

Article in the Journal Record today that details the deal between Amazon and Governor Fallin's office about online tax collection in Oklahoma.

http://journalrecord.com/2017/03/30/amazon-tax-change-bodes-well-for-state/

I can't access, so if you can, can you elucidate if there was actually some sort of deal, or if it was just Amazon starting to collect because they're opening facilities here?

Another $3 million building permit application filed to fit out this structure.

Or you know, you can price match at Wal-Mart. Or Best Buy. They both price match to Amazon.

Actually I love that other retailers are so dedicated to compete with Amazon. I just bought a point-shoot camera (I have some DSLR's but I don't always want to bring them for casual photograph and my phone doesn't have a good enough camera). Amazon had the cheaper price on both the camera and memory card. But I don't have Prime and Amazon's free shipping would take 5-8 days. BestBuy was offering free 2-day shipping and price match. I went ahead and ordered through bestbuy so I could get the free 2-day shipping, and then I called BestBuy and got the price match retroactively with no hassle. I would have just gone to pick it up in store but it was out of stock.

Amazon's price power makes it actually better to avoid Amazon and just use Amazon to get price matching at more competetive retailers when you can make it work.

More details on this facility:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/amazon042417a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/amazon042417b.jpg

I have some comments about the threat of Amazon to local economies.

I do worry sometimes about the negative economic effects of ecommerce, and Amazon in particular with how much control of online retail it has. However, I think some of the most significant benefits of ecommerce don't come into this conversation often enough. For instance, the immeasurable selection of products offered online can increase competition*(always a healthy economic force), help people to find and choose products they are more satisfied with, and help people live healthier lives. I think what's more exciting than any of that, though, is that ecommerce can enable people anywhere to start and grow thriving small businesses. More on that in a minute.

After my wife and I got married a few years back, we were quite happy to peruse the aisles of Target and Bed, Bath, and Beyond looking for just the right whisk or cutlery set. We used to buy practically everything from Target. Now, however, because of our evolving values and priorities, we rarely spend any significant amount of money at stores like these. We walk through aisles and marvel that, without the slightest exaggeration, 90-95% of the items on the shelves – from clothing to housewares, furniture to grocery, personal care to office supplies*– are things we have no interest in (due to materials, quality, source, etc.). This comment was actually going to be about this shift in our lifestyle and how it's affected by ecommerce, but I discovered that's way too lengthy of a subject to explore properly here. Suffice to say that we've discovered ways of living that we enjoy much more than what's possible with the mass-produced, race-to-the-bottom quality, plastic-everywhere Chinese imports that fill local store shelves. And it's not that we buy a bunch of luxury products or anything. Shopping online gives us access to reasonably-priced products that fit with our particular values, tastes, standards, etc. And those products are more and more often from small businesses in the US, whether purchased from third-party sellers on Amazon or directly through their own websites. And that brings me back to my comment above about small businesses. For a variety of reasons, Americans' buying habits are changing, as mine and my wife's have been (though we may be a little ahead of the curve). The age of Americans just buying whatever brick-and-mortar retailers choose to put in front of them is ending.

The way ecommerce is evolving gives ordinary people opportunities that they wouldn't otherwise have to develop, market, and sell more narrowly-targeted products than what's practical for traditional retailers and distribution systems. Few people are going to get rich doing this, but many can make a living. I know of a woman that sells handkerchiefs on Amazon. There's nothing flashy or terribly interesting about them*– just plain cotton handkerchiefs – but according to reviewers, they're made from soft, thick flannel and they do the job better than any others. The customers are loyal (judging from outcry when the products temporarily went out of stock) and the seller has a successful business. This kind of thing requires investment and hard work just like any good business does, but the opportunities are there and growing. And growing along with the opportunities is the potential for local economic growth as new ecommerce businesses start and grow throughout the country.

Will things play out that way? Who knows? But the potential for the economy to shift even a little more toward smaller, more geographically-distributed businesses is exciting to me at least. Amazon isn't just a behemoth retailer. It's also a platform for others to gain exposure and sell their products.

^^Some interesting points I hadn't considered.

^^^^^ +2

My guess about OKC Petro's comment is that he/she was referring in some way to the structural changes in the economy. Amazon in the aggregate is taking business away from local retail. And it's not unique to OK and it's not OK's fault. It's a structural change in the economy. Amazon will employ a couple hundred people at $12/hour and at the same time, over the next few years, a few dozen local stores will close due to the "Amazon effect." The fact is it will ultimately be a loss to the city over time. I mean it's fine that Amazon is in OKC instead of Tulsa or Lawton or Enid but let's not pretend that ultimately it's a "net plus" to our economy.

I've heard rumblings at my warehouse job that this sorting facility is starting new employees out at $18/hr. That would be more than my employer pays, less than Purina and DEF less than Tinker.

No one will want to work there for $11-12/hr. May be more realistic to see them starting at $15 or $16/hr. We'll know in another year when the facility opens.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/amazon050711a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/amazon050711b.jpg

Roof going on.

Everything but the white roof is a metal mesh support structure.

For scale, keep in mind each one of those openings on the side facing Council are truck docks; they go all the way around the north and east sides as well.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/amazon061817.jpg

Whats crazy is the warehouse just south of the intermediate school is even larger than this thing! I dont recall what it is, but it's massive.

At least in these two cases, it's because someone is building them to occupy them. Whereas the other large warehouse spaces built across the street from here, were speculative, and still sit empty. A third new construction is still on-going, and that's great. But what gets me is that they chose all this over using the existing Will Rogers. So there must be something unattractive about the space they had.....i mean it did get torn down except for one section.

I think some developers over-anticipated an energy warehouse upturn. But all those folks that got hurt in the downturn are just going to be that much more careful now. Glad to see a more diverse group of companies moving in the area.

They are holding a job fair in OKC on 8/2:

http://amazondelivers.jobs/about/our-opportunities/hourly-fulfillment-jobs/okc5-jobs/

They are holding a job fair in OKC on 8/2:

http://amazondelivers.jobs/about/our-opportunities/hourly-fulfillment-jobs/okc5-jobs/

If you look at that web site it only talks about part time jobs. Hope that they aren't planning to fill out a majority of their staff with part-time work.

I wouldn't be surprised. Amazon isn't exactly known for being some amazing employer. I mean it is a warehouse position, not a tech office position. I dont know why anyone would think they would be different from any other similar sorting facility employer.

I wouldn't be surprised. Amazon isn't exactly known for being some amazing employer. I mean it is a warehouse position, not a tech office position. I dont know why anyone would think they would be different from any other similar sorting facility employer.

It's an absolutely abysmal place to work whether one is salaried or not. 100% turnover in any given position is the marking of a company that doesn't care about it employees, contractors, etc.

http://www.ibtimes.com/amazoncom-has-second-highest-employee-turnover-all-fortune-500-companies-1361257

Yet, we all want cheap stuff so in the end Walmart and Amazon do massive business that drives the need for these jobs.

I saw the same thing in California over and over again... People claiming to care about the field workers but not so much to actually pay more for produce.

The high cost of low prices...

It looks like they are offering health care to even part time workers though. That's nice.

similar to UPS, so that's cool

I don't be know about what the policy will be here, but didn't Amazon win a case that allowed them to keep staff for unpaid time to go through a long security process after their shift?

Amazon's Jeff Bezos is now the richest man in the world (http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/jeff-bezos-is-the-world%E2%80%99s-richest-man/ar-AAoUYVm?OCID=ansmsnnews11)

I cannot even fathom those sums of money.