A new chapter

Popular Austin shopping destination set to get Amazon Books store

An Amazon Books store in Seattle.

Courtesy Amazon Books

On the heels of Amazon’s acquisition of locally based Whole Food Market and amid the ferocious race among Austin and many other North American cities to host Amazon’s second headquarters, the retail titan is writing another chapter in its Central Texas presence: The Amazon Books chain is gearing up to open a store in North Austin.

According to recently posted signage, the first Amazon Books location in Austin — and in all of Texas — is set to debut in early 2018 at Domain Northside. Amazon recently published a job posting in search of a manager for the store. In a no-duh declaration, the ad says candidates for the position “must love books and devices.”

The Austin store will be across the street from Domain Northside's Flower Child restaurant and a short walk from Whole Foods’ Domain Northside location. Amazon has a corporate office at the Domain.

The Amazon Books retail chain has 11 shops; they’re in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington. Two more stores are set to open soon in California. Media reports indicate an Amazon Books store ranges in size from roughly 4,000 to 10,000 square feet.

Amazon Books describes the retail chain as a “physical extension” of Amazon.com, which initially launched as a bookseller. The bookstore chain says it “integrates the benefits of offline and online shopping to help you find books and devices you’ll love.”

The stores choose books to sell based on Amazon.com customer ratings, preorders, sales, popularity on Goodreads, and assessments from its own “curators.”

“We place books face-out on the shelves, so each can communicate its own essence,” Amazon Books says on its website.

The first Amazon Books store opened in 2015 in Seattle, where Amazon is based.

shopping books

WFH life

Austin plugs in as 2nd cheapest large U.S. city for remote workers

Photo by Lewis Guapo on Unsplash

Working remotely in Austin is far more affordable than many other U.S. cities.

Austin's thriving telework industry is already known for being among the most prominent in the country, and as it turns out, it's one of the most affordable, too. A recent study by online retailer The Perfect Rug has revealed Austin is the No. 2 cheapest U.S. city center for remote work.

The report ranked the top 10 largest U.S. cities based on population data, the number of coworking spaces and cafes per capita, statewide average internet speeds, average apartment rent prices, and more.

Austin falls second to the far west Texas city of El Paso (No. 1), and is followed by Houston in the No. 3 spot.

When it comes to finding the best place to work remotely, Austin has an abundance of options including coffee shops, coworking spaces, and local library branches. According to the report's data, there are about six coworking spaces and 26 cafes per capita in the city, but Austinites know best that there is a much wider variety of places to work from "home" than whatever number a study determines.

The average internet speed in Texas is 425.9 mbps (megabits per second), which is the fourth-highest internet speed out of the six total states (and the District of Columbia) mentioned in the study. Pennsylvania, Washington, and Washington, D.C. all have faster average internet speeds, at 430.8, 451, and 473.8 mpbs, respectively.

The Perfect Rug also calculated the average costs for meals, coffee, and monthly rent in Austin:

$1,467 per month – Average apartment rent cost in central Austin
$21 per hour – Average cost for a desk at a coworking space
$16.99 – Average cost for a meal
$5.36 – Average cost for a coffee

Furthermore, Austin-based remote workers are technically saving on fuel costs compared to those who have to commute into the city daily for their jobs.

A spokesperson for The Perfect Rug said Texas cities like El Paso, Austin, and Houston are far more popular for "budget-conscious" remote workers partially because rent costs are far lower in comparison to many other U.S. cities.

"On the other hand, cities like Washington, D.C., and Seattle, while more expensive, compensate with faster internet speeds and a higher density of workspaces, which can enhance the remote work experience," the spokesperson said. "Finding the right balance between cost and amenities is key for remote workers seeking both productivity and affordability."

Elsewhere in Texas, San Antonio ranked as the fifth most affordable city for teleworkers, followed by Dallas (No. 7).

The top 10 cheapest U.S. cities for remote workers are:

No. 1 – El Paso, Texas
No. 2 – Austin, Texas
No. 3 – Houston, Texas
No. 4 – Seattle, Washington
No. 5 – San Antonio, Texas
No. 6 – Washington, D.C.
No. 7 – Dallas, Texas
No. 8 – Denver, Colorado
No. 9 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
No. 10 – Nashville, Tennessee

austin reports rankings remote work