Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.
Fab.com has had many identities. The company was originally named Fabulis.com and launched as a gay social network complete with reviews, check-ins and daily deals. It didn't catch on, so founders Jason Goldberg and Bradford Shellhammer decided to kill Fabulis and relaunch as simply Fab. Instead of offering romantic connections, they would sell furniture, decor and quirky items in flash-sale format.
As the market for flash sales cooled, Goldberg and Shellhammer decided to pivot once again—getting rid of flash sales entirely and moving towards regular e-commerce status. Fast Company reports that these changes will most-likely trigger layoffs. This rumor is per an internal memo that reads, in part, "Our processes are changing, along with our investments in technology that may impact the number of people required to perform various tasks." Two months ago, Fab laid off more than 100 employees in its Berlin office.
· An Internal Fab Memo Suggests More Employee Layoffs Could Be On The Way [Fast Company]
· Gilt Doubles Down on Flash Sale Model Despite Waning Interest [Racked]
· Fab Quietly Murdered Flash Sales This Morning [Racked]