Walmart has purchased ‘Social Calendar,’ a Facebook app that allows users to receive birthday and holiday reminders by text and e-mail. The app also provides a way for users to post virtual greeting cards on their friends Facebook walls.
Walmart has been moving in on Facebook apps lately. In December we reported on their new Shopycat app, which uses Facebook’s resources to suggest gift ideas for a user’s Facebook friends Walmart integrated their own products, along with items from Barnes & Noble, RedEnvelope, ThinkGeek, and other sites, into the gift recommendations.
Social Calendar assured users there would be no short-term service interruptions due to the purchase. In a statement released through their website, they said:
“Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (“Walmart”) completed its purchase of Newput Corporation’s Social Calendar products, services and website. We remain committed to providing the highest level of service that you have come to expect with Social Calendar. Your service with Social Calendar will continue without any interruptions, and you will be notified in the future of any material updates or changes to your service.”
According to Social Calendar, there have been more than 100 million birthdays and other special occasions added to their service, by over 15 million users. That’s one heck of a database if you want to be the one recommending gift ideas along with those birthday reminders. It will be interesting to see how Walmart takes advantage of this.