zulily

zulily started in 2010 in Seattle as a new way to shop online. zulily introduced flash sales, those 72-hour promotions for heavily discounted merchandise, as its sales model. The company launches 100 flash sales every day, giving itself the ability to continually bring something new and special to its customers.

The idea took off, and within just a year and a half, zulily needed more office space and a second fulfillment center to keep up with its growth. After carefully evaluating locations in several Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states, company officials decided to expand in central Ohio. The region had everything they were looking for: a sizeable workforce with diverse skills, proximity to the company’s vendors and growing customer base, and an integrated transportation system that provides reliable and affordable shipping options.

zulily announced in December 2011 its plans to build a fulfillment center in central Ohio, which would employ as many as 600 workers within three years, and to open its second corporate office in Columbus for employees in customer service, merchandising, finance, human resources, studio services and supply chain management.

Over the next few years, the company continued to grow at a rapid pace, necessitating another expansion. Officials considered Reno, Nevada, home to one of the company’s other fulfillment centers. Once again, however, they chose Ohio, thanks in large part to the outstanding relationships they had developed with and the support they received from JobsOhio, Columbus2020 and the local economic development partners.

In 2016, zulily celebrated the grand opening of its call center and newly expanded corporate office in suburban Columbus. In all, zulily has invested more than $30 million in central Ohio and has brought more than 1,300 jobs to the region.

“The state, county and local government partners, businesses and vendors and people of the Columbus community have made it possible for us to continue to expand our footprint in Ohio – all with an eye to deliver an exceptional customer experience,” said Darrell Cavens, co-founder and former CEO of zulily, in a Sept. 13, 2016, news release announcing the expansion. “Our cross section between technology and retail creates an incredibly unique set of hiring opportunities. We believe that the Columbus area has been and will continue to be well positioned to provide a highly talented workforce to fill the positions being created in the coming years. We are excited to be expanding our presence in the Columbus region.”

As zulily continues to delight its more than 6.4 million customers with its daily specials, Ohio continues to delight zulily with its easily accessible location, strong transportation system, highly skilled workers and supportive network of economic development partners.