Fab.com Opens Up To The Public, Is The “Members Only” Model Over?

Fab.com Opens Up To The Public, Is The “Members Only” Model Over?

Fab.com, the site for home decor, fashion, gear, clothing and other daily deals is opening up to the public.  Now anybody can browse the site and see new items for sale without being a registered member.  Fab.com sells trendy items that are stylish and eccentric as well as a bit pricy.  The website was restricted to ‘membership only’ but today Fab.com is open to the general public like many invite only sites before it.

The cons of having a members only business model outweigh the pros of allowing anyone to join and the invite only business model may be over.  Facebook learned this early on and moved away from ‘college students’ only in its early days.  E-commerce sites that claim to be exclusive will retain their exclusivity by varying price points or other characteristics.  A person who can afford an exquisite light bulb is much different than an average shopper who isn’t likely to return to the site.  In essence, users will separate themselves overtime and branding techniques should be focused on social media/SEM efforts to engage with a specific demographic that could be high-end, luxury or artsy consumers.

Don’t worry – the ‘invite only’ model will still be around for a bit longer as perception that one is getting a deal nobody else can obtain will exist forever.  The problem these sites will face is that they may have fewer members overtime out of a larger pool that could bring traffic.  Even if a person only purchases one item every few months, that’s better than a small list of people who invariably can’t shop everyday.  The internet is a numbers game and Fab.com seems to want more users – however they come.  Expect to see the ‘members only’ model less and less.