Column-oriented storage is a database design that organizes data by columns rather than rows. This means that all the values for a specific attribute are stored together, making it efficient for queries that involve aggregating or filtering large datasets. It is particularly useful for analytical workloads where only a few columns are accessed frequently. This storage method contrasts with row-oriented storage, where data is stored in rows. Column-oriented storage can significantly improve performance for read-heavy operations, as it reduces the amount of data that needs to be scanned. Popular systems that utilize this approach include Apache Cassandra and Google BigQuery.