Columbus is an e-commerce giant
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Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios
E-commerce has boomed across the country in recent years, but perhaps nowhere greater than in Columbus.
Why it matters: Online transactions aren't just favorable for shoppers, but are increasingly lucrative to our region — a "sweet spot" for industrial development.
Driving the news: Digital payment processing company Stripe released a report this week showcasing the dramatic expansion of the internet economy since 2017.
- Online spending was already rising but skyrocketed during the pandemic, Axios Cleveland's Sam Allard writes.
- Stalwarts like Amazon grew even larger, while the relatively recent accessibility of digital commerce helped traditionally offline industries begin embracing the platform.
What they're saying: "A diffusion of talent and investment capital ... has paved the way for the rapid growth of the internet economy beyond traditional tech hubs and major metropolitan areas," Stripe's report reads.
Zoom in: Columbus saw the amount paid via transactions on Stripe increase 40-fold over the past five years in industries like clothing, specialty retail and dining.
- More than 150 local businesses launched on Stripe every month on average last year.
- Both Columbus and Dublin are home to businesses using Stripe that collectively processed over $100 million in 2021.
The big picture: Columbus is helping satisfy the demand for more distribution centers to process the wave in online orders.
- Our Rickenbacker International Airport, among the only cargo-dedicated airports in the world, is surrounded by a cluster of industrial warehouses.
- We're within a day's drive of 150 million Americans, the Columbus Chamber of Commerce points out, not to mention the presence of rail lines.
- The region has over 90,000 transportation and logistics workers, per the Chamber.
The bottom line: Put it together and our transformation into a Midwest e-commence hub happened gradually, but all at once.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct that the amount paid via transactions on Stripe — rather than online transactions — increased by 40 times over the past five years in Columbus, Ohio.