There must be something about a type of company that can completely change the culture of the city its headquarters is in. This is something that Amazon is familiar with; it was in the Bay Area for the longest time before finally shifting its focus to become more nationwide. Obviously, Amazon is a worldwide brand, but their office employees are now going to be elsewhere other than ritzy San Francisco and surrounding areas, so what does that mean for their new potential HQ2: Philadelphia?
Money
Getting right to the point, Philadelphia is not a poor city. They have money. However, the money is not distributed as equally is some might prefer. Having Amazon there could bring a lot of new money into town, spurring growth in the retail and service sectors.
Optics
It always looks good to have a top global brand set up camp in your city. It seems to say “this is a city worth living in.” After all, Amazon didn’t become the top internet retailer by attracting low-quality talent. So if they’re considering this move and the results it would have on their staff, they must have good reasons.
Jobs
Philly natives can expect an influx of job postings as has happened in other cities that opened up Amazon locations. Only this time, it will be higher salaries more in line with the costs of living of the Northeast.
Tech Boom
Philadelphia is a city that is primed to have an explosion of technology. Their infrastructure is sound. Their population is high. There is only one thing missing: an anchor company that brings competition and brainpower to the same place at the same time to create a tech boom like the one that happened in Boston.
It’s clear that Amazon is one of the most successful brands in the world. If you want to buy something online, it is likely that you search Amazon first, if only for the reason that it typically dominates the top results in Google. The fact is that Philadelphia has a massive history of its own. While it wouldn’t sacrifice its history to bend to an internet company, there is undoubtedly going to be a change in philosophy in Philadelphia if they manage to attract a billion-dollar brand.