Bentonville, Ark. — Walmart has acquired Simplexity, the cellular services provider that operated online mobile stores for hundreds of retailers before filing for bankruptcy in March.
The purchase included Simplexity’s wireless activation retail platform (WARP), which powered online cellular stores for Walmart and top competitors including Target, RadioShack, Sears and TigerDirect. The company’s sudden bankruptcy and shutdown left hundreds of retailers without an online means to sell and activate mobile devices, including 15 of the top 20 retail sites.
According to a federal bankruptcy court filing, Simplexity had entered into a stalking horse agreement with the discount chain, which set a minimum purchase price of $10 million for its intellectual property and e-commerce platform.
According to Walmart executive VP and chief information officer Karenann Terrell, the company will employ the technology in-store to significantly decrease activation wait time at Walmart and Sam’s Club locations, and will eventually leverage the platform online to “provide a seamless online option that will walk customers through the activation process.”
