Daily deal company LivingSocial buys a ‘social adventure’ firm

LivingSocial last month launched in new cites, including Milwaukee.

Daily deal web site operator LivingSocial today said it had bought Urban Escapes, a company that sells what it calls social adventures. Those can include Zen Yoga Hikes, skydiving or a $175 trip that pairs single malt scotch tasting with shooting rifles at clay targets.

LivingSocial did not say how much it paid for the company, which launched in 2008 and sells trips to consumers in Boston, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. LivingSocial says it has 10 million members. Last month, the daily deal service said it had gone live in 25 new markets across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

“With the acquisition of Urban Escapes, we will now have the ability to help curate some amazing experiences and adventures exclusively for our members,” says Tim O’Shaughnessy, LivingSocial’s CEO and co-founder.

LivingSocial says it will work with the staff of Urban Escapes to offer deals in five introductory markets. Living Social did not reveal those markets and the company offered no immediate comment. A review of Urban Escape’s offers today showed trips that ranged in price from around $50 to more than three times that much. Deals from LivingSocial generally were cheaper, with a two-hour scuba class in Grand Rapids, MI, going for $20 and five hand car washes in Chicago costing $25.