WalmartLabs Acquires App Firm

SAN BRUNO, Calif. — WalmartLabs here, the Wal-Mart division dedicated to creating mobile and social media products, today acquired Portland, Ore.-based Small Society, a developer of mobile apps.

Small Society has created mobile apps for such companies as Whole Foods Market, Starbucks Coffee and Zipcar. The company will join WalmartLabs’ Portland, Ore., office.

Last fall, WalmartLabs acquired Grabble, a mobile POS developer, and One Riot, a social ad network. The group also recently released Shopycat, a Facebook-shopping app.

“As we got to know the Small Society founders, they impressed us with their understanding of mobile platforms, their passion for building great products, and their awareness of the unique opportunities for mobile in the retail space,” wrote Paul Cousineau, vice president of mobile products for Walmart.com, in a post on the WalmartLabs blog.

“We believe that mobile can have an impact on every part of the shopping experience for Wal-Mart customers, whether in-store or online,” added Cousineau.