How One of the Midwest’s Largest Cities is Making it’s Name in Fashion
When someone says the words “fashion capital,” Columbus, OH is probably one of the last places that would come to mind. Situated in a state known for the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Ohio State football and a large Amish population, fashion seems to be far from the forefront. But, much to everyone’s disbelief, Columbus hosts the third-highest concentration of fashion designers in the U.S., behind New York City and Los Angeles (although Nashville claims this title as well).
The Buckeye City is home to the headquarters of major retail brands, including DSW, Express, Abercrombie & Fitch Co., Bath & Body Works and L Brands (the parent company of Henri Bendel, Victoria’s Secret, La Senza, and more). More than 8,200 people are employed at these fashion and retail company headquarters and distribution centers, and 250,000 people in the region are employed by apparel and retail companies as a whole.
Ranked number four by WalletHub for a population most resembling the demographic makeup of the country, Columbus provides an ideal test market for retailers to test the SKUs in their brick-and-mortar stores, with many major retail brands routinely using their Columbus stores as testing grounds for new store layouts and product launches.
“Columbus has an open-minded approach to life, business and ideas. The Columbus region’s people, business and neighborhoods exemplify the philosophy that Columbus is open to all, creating an environment that encourages innovation, taking risks and thinking big,” said Kenny McDonald, president and chief economic officer of Columbus 2020, an economic development organization in Columbus.
The Columbus region also hosts multimodal logistics hub Rickenbacker Inland Port, the tenth largest Foreign-Trade Zone in the U.S., rated number one in the nation for total value of textile and footwear imports in 2015. Of the nation’s apparel and footwear imports that go through foreign-trade zones, about 70 percent pass through Rickenbacker.
As one of the world’s only cargo-dedicated airports, Columbus’ Rickenbacker International Airport moves air cargo not only within the U.S., but also to and from the U.S., with weekly international freighters going back and forth between the airport and premier air cargo hubs in Europe (Luxembourg), Asia (Hong Kong) and the Middle East (Dubai). Its prime location and complete logistics provide the retail and fashion industry unparalleled access to global markets.
Columbus also offers the nation’s lowest effective tax rate for new distributions centers and office space: 40 percent cheaper than Chicago and 60 percent cheaper than New York. Due to this, major brands, including The Gap, DSW and Restoration Hardware, have chosen Columbus as their U.S. operations location for distribution, fulfillment and logistics facilities.
“We are now five years into a 10-year regional growth plan with goals that include adding 150,000 net new jobs and generating $8 billion of capital investment in the Columbus region by the year 2020, and we’re ahead of pace on achieving those goals,” McDonald said. “The Fashion industry is and will continue to be a large driver of growth in the coming years.”
While many large companies find themselves with centers in Columbus, the city isn’t all about big-name brands—it also fosters small businesses and designers. Fashion startups, like Homage, a rapidly growing retailer that celebrates iconic athletes, teams and pop culture sensations, and Gwynnie Bee, an e-commerce company that provides a subscription service for women’s clothing in sizes 10-32, are based in Columbus.
Alternative Fashion Mob, a collection of fashion designers, industry professionals and couture fanatics, is just one of the many Columbus-based fashion organizations that aim to bring everyone in the industry together. AFM aims to launch FABRIC, a fashion industry incubation space—the first of it’s kind in the Midwest.
With a low cost of living, a youthful and progressive attitude, a stable economy and a large talent pool, Columbus has everything it needs to be America’s next influential fashion city.
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