SEATTLE — Three months have now passed since employees at Amazon returned to the company's offices in the South Lake Union neighborhood of Seattle.
In the spring, Amazon told workers they had to be in person at least three days a week at the office. At the time, business owners in the area spoke to KING 5 about their excitement regarding increased potential foot traffic with Amazon employees back in town.
New data from the company showed increased activity and money being spent in neighborhoods that rely heavily on people who commute into their offices.
Foot traffic in the Denny Triangle neighborhood increased by 56% since workers were mandated to return to the office, while credit card transactions at hotels and restaurants increased by over 100%.
In nearby South Lake Union, credit card transactions were up 86% and foot traffic increased by 82%.
"We've definitely got larger crowds since Amazon has been back," said Joseph Smith, a business owner. "We're increased to over 100%, our sales. Especially on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursdays being the busiest days of course when they're back in town."
Smith told KING 5 his business has hired four extra people in the last few weeks just to keep up with increased demand. He hopes to see even more people back in the office, so he can see more revenue on Mondays and Fridays.
Current Amazon employees, on the other hand, have pushed back against the return-to-work mandate. Employees in Seattle led a staged walk-out this spring and expressed frustration after Amazon laid off thousands of employees during the winter.