Report Touts Amazon’s Positive Economic Contributions in PA, Ignores Impact on Brick-and-Mortar Retailers
A new Keystone Strategy report highlights the positive economic contributions of Amazon in Pennsylvania but does not delve into the impact the e-commerce giant has had on brick-and-mortar retailers, from Main Street to malls to mom-and-pop stores, writes Natalie Kostelni for the Philadelphia Business Journal.
According to the 2021 Economic Impact Report commissioned by Amazon, over the past decade, the company has invested $17 billion in Pennsylvania as it added distribution centers and stores along with other facilities throughout the state.
However, the company did not provide information on the millions of dollars it has received in that period from the state and taxpayers, including $15 million in tax credits and $5 million in grants from Pennsylvania in 2016.
Observers noted that Amazon would likely have added its distribution centers to the region even without the incentives due to its proximity to much of the nation’s population and the highway network.
“Pennsylvania is one of our most important markets,” said Maura Kennedy, an Amazon spokeswoman.
It currently has 25,000 employees in the Keystone State across 27 fulfillment centers and 15 Whole Foods Markets, along with other facilities.
It has around 5,000 employees in Philadelphia.
Read more in the Philadelphia Business Journal.
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