Groupon's Deal of the Day is a Social Shopping Startup

The leading daily deals site has found a deal of its own: a new company.

Mertado, a social shopping startup that aimed to present consumers with a selection of unique or lifestyle-oriented products, has been acquired by Groupon

. On February 28, 2012, Mertado.com will shut down. “Today, we're pleased to announce that we are continuing this journey by becoming a part of the Groupon family,” the company wrote

. “Groupon has been a pioneer in social commerce in many ways, and when we started talking with them, it became extremely clear that they shared the same set of values as us.” Consequently, Mertado has stopped accepting new registrations. The site will no longer offer products for new sales. Why would Groupon acquire a company and shut it down immediately after the acquisition was complete? Simply put, Groupon doesn't need the Mertado brand, which could take months (if not years) to throw into the spotlight, along with an ad campaign that would cost billions. Thus, instead of acquiring Mertado to utilize and build up the existing brand, which is relatively small,

reports that Groupon wanted the firm for its commerce expertise. Customers who have an existing relationship with Mertado will not be left in the cold, however. In addition to its goodbye speech at Mertado.com, the company said that customers will still be able to access Mertado's customer service. But they must contact the company at

before February 28. “We are extremely thankful to everyone who made Mertado possible: customers, vendors, business partners, investors, and the wonderful team!” Mertado concluded.

Lightbank, the technology investment vehicle from Groupon co-founders Brad Keywell and Eric Lefkofsky, is

.