Swedish fintech company Klarna specializes in letting consumers split up the costs of payments without charging interest. Today, it’s taking one more step toward changing the future of shopping, launching a virtual-shopping feature that allows retailers to provide consumers with the ability to connect with sales associates through chat and video calls in order to get advice, product photos, and demos.
“We’re trying to solve for a lack of service in online shopping,” says Adam Levene, Klarna’s head of social shopping.
In 2021, e-commerce made up only 19.1% of total U.S. retail sales, even despite the pandemic. Klarna conducted research to discover what the pain points were. According to its January 2022 study, 68% of U.S. consumers said they shopped in person once a week, and 58% of U.S. shoppers said in-store shopping was a better experience. The main reasons they said in-store shopping was better was social interaction, and better service. Meanwhile, 78% of U.S. consumers said retailers should invest in new technology, while 45% stated they wanted more personal product recommendations, and 40% wanted personalized services.
Source: Fast Company
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