How Amazon privatizes public spaces for its own profit
This is a daily sight on 8th St. in the East Village of New York City, a spot historically chockablock with indie, brick-and-mortar shops. This is an Amazon truck and freelancers who have taken over the street (it’s a no standing zone) and sidewalk as their own. This is one way Amazon sells things for less: it turns public streets and sidewalks into its “warehouses” and “stores.” Imagine you’re a local business with a roof and rent. You can’t compete against this public theft. You pay $1k per sq. foot in rent, plus electric, heat, insurance, NYC business taxes, etc. Amazon pays the city $0. (They may drive the truck in from New Jersey.) Maybe they receive a $150 parking ticket once a week.
Since I see this same sight every 10 blocks in NYC, I fear most indie retailers are getting bled out by Amazon’s sidewalk warehouse strategy. Amazon used to win by cheating our cities and states out of sales tax on orders. Now Amazon likely charges tax on orders—but pays little in business taxes as it operates these mobile, satellite warehouses and stores.
What can we do? Ideally, our elected leaders, who rely on taxes to provide public services and receive their own paychecks, will rein this theft in. In the meantime, I recommend one find an NYPD traffic cop and point them to the spot where their tax-payer funded wage is being bled out. More Amazon purchases will lead to fewer resources for our city and its public servants.