Features
2018 Year in Review: Seattle Big Businesses Make Power Moves
Amazon, Starbucks, Boeing, REI and Costco are keeping busy
By Gwendolyn Elliott December 4, 2018
This article originally appeared in the December 2018 issue of Seattle magazine.
This article appears in print in the December 2018 issue, as part of the Year in Review feature. Click here to subscribe.
Push Back
Amazon, Starbucks and other companies outspend proponents of the head tax 2 to 1 (while complaining about how much it would cost to pay it).
Beta Testing
Starbucks tries out a pilot program for cashless stores at its location at Russell Investments Center in downtown Seattle.
The Big Re-org
Amazon whittles down list for second headquarters to 20 finalists.
Changing Lanes
Jeff Bezos is profiled in The New York Times style section; the story calls him “a full-fledged style icon.”
Making a Pivot
Costco refreshes in-store menu; it keeps $1.50 hot dog and soda combo.
Reaching Out
Howard Shultz steps down as executive chairman of Starbucks and hypes forthcoming book that hints at a 2020 presidential bid.
Making Hay
Amazon outranks Microsoft as the world’s second-most-valuable company, and Bezos becomes the world’s wealthiest man.
Finding the Synergies
Starbucks opens its first stand-alone bakery, Princi, in Seattle, and a new Reserve marketplace in SoDo to showcase its premium coffee.
Lateral Moves
Fleeing Hurricane Florence, eight Boeing 787s from South Carolina land at Paine Field in Everett.
Rethinking the Paradigm
After months of consideration, Nordstrom decides not to go private.
Outside the Box
Amazon launches in-car delivery service—yes, orders delivered to your car.
It’s Scalable
The third cashier-less Amazon Go store opens in Seattle; company considers launching 3,000 more nationwide.
Infinite Bandwidth
Seattle now ranked no. 4 city in the U.S. for start-ups.
Test Phase
Alaska Airlines tests new uniforms designed by Luly Yang.
Market Research
Starbucks promises to dump all plastic straws by 2020; still struggles to craft a recyclable cup.
Moving the Needle
Jeff Bezos donates $33 million to scholarship for “Dreamers,” $10 million to veteran-focused super PAC, and $2 billion for early childhood education and homeless families.
The Big Picture
REI rolls out new sustainability standards for its vendors regarding environmental impact, animal welfare and other practices.
Follow Us
Molbak’s Returns
Popular store launches community hub for gardening
Molbak’s has launched a new community initiative called Green Phoenix Collaborative at Molbak’s, which will transform the former retail site into a community hub for all things gardening. The collaborative will feature programs, classes, and events.
Historic Cornish College Building For Sale
Kerry Hall was the original home of college founder Nellie Cornish
The historic Kerry Hall building, at 710 E. Roy St. in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, was built in 1921 and was the home of Nellie Cornish, who founded the arts college in 1914 and ran it for 25 years. The college was formed in the building and has occupied it since then.
Seattle: Again The Place To Be
Seattle nears pre-pandemic visitor levels in impressive turnaround
Visit Seattle released preliminary figures for 2023 at its annual meeting Wednesday, and found that the region hosted 37.8 million visitors last year, an 8.9% increase from 2022. That’s just 10% less than in 2019, the last full year before the pandemic.