Smartphone app SnapSaves sells to deals site Groupon

Daily deals website Groupon says it has purchased SnapSaves, a Canadian-made couponing app that launched last year.

While the details of the transaction weren't revealed, including the price of the acquisition, it marks a sign of the growing popularity of smartphone apps in the grocery industry.

SnapSaves was created by Toronto-based company Buytopia, which has a deal-of-the-day offer similar to Groupon.

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With the app, shoppers can snap a picture of their grocery receipt and receive money back on selected items through a cheque in the mail.

SnapSaves says the deal will expand its reach to Groupon's 52 million active customers.

Other similar money-saving apps have appeared on the market in recent years, including Checkout 51, a Toronto-based startup founded two years ago.