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"LivingSocial, the daily deals site that we\u2019ve covered on a number of occasions previously, has announced its first foray into physical products with the launch of an e-commerce LivingSocial Shop.\r\n\r\nBased in Washington, DC, LivingSocial is perhaps Groupon\u2019s most well-known rival, letting users discover local experiences at knock-down prices. It claims more than 60 million members in 22 countries, and last week we reported that it was launching Live Events offers in New York.\r\n\r\nNow, with LivingSocial Shop, the company is offering a virtual destination for its users to explore relevant items from brands. It says it will feature a broad (but curated) merchandise mix, and will deliver items direct to members' front door.\r\n\r\n&amp;quot;LivingSocial inspires our members to get out, discover new things, and truly experience life,&amp;quot; says Emily King, Director of LivingSocial Shop. \u201CLivingSocial Shop is an extension of that idea: We\u2019ll offer curated merchandise, all tied together by a theme. Our collections are organized so that members can buy one item, two items, or opt in for the entire experience.\u201D\r\n\r\nLivingSocial Shop\u2019s first US collection, Beach Bound, features items themed around a trip to the shore. It includes:\r\n\r\n\tFirst-Up Canopy Tent Gazebos\r\n\tNine Space Ayrika Classic Fouta Towels\r\n\tMelissa &amp;amp;amp; Doug Beach Toys\r\n\tTuffo Water-Resistant Blankets and Totes\r\n\tClear2Go Applica Sport Water Bottle with Filter\r\n\tJeep Car Seat Starter Kit\r\n\r\nThe Beach Bound merchandise will be made available to buy from today and will run for seven days. Future collections will include Lawn &amp;amp;amp; Leisure (ways to have a backyard blast), Midsummer Night (must-haves for an outdoor fete), and Back-to-School 101 (A+ finds for all ages) to name a few.\r\n\r\nThat said, it seems the collections will be localized around the world - in the LivinSocial UK shop, there appears to be fragrance collections and iOS accessories available, and the Australia Shop is different too.\r\n\r\n\r\nIf you\u2019re new to LivingSocial, offers are dispatched via the LivingSocial website, signed-up members can receive a daily email blast, or you can access it through the iOS and Android apps.\r\n\r\nLivingSocial members will be introduced to LivingSocial Shop via email from today. In addition, anyone can receive regular LivingSocial Shop emails by visiting livingsocial.com and managing their subscriptions from there.\r\n\r\nThe fact that LivingSocial is now branching out into a fully-fledged e-commerce platform is an interesting one, and is indicative of its need to grow revenues from different sources. Though I can't help but feel it's just a little bit removed from its original remit of bringing local experiences at a discount.\r\n\r\nLaunched in 2007, LivingSocial actually predates its more well-known competitor Groupon. Recently, it acquired online ordering software firm ONOSYS for \u2018at least $6.5m\u2019, before going on to launch its own branded Visa Card in cahoots with Chase in May.\r\n\r\nFeature Image Credit: Polycart | Flickr"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://thenextweb.com/insider/2012/07/17/livingsocial-launches-first-foray-into-physical-products-an-online-shop-selling-curated-collections/>