Bluemercury Rolls Out Klarna to 183 Stores, Nationwide

Bluemercury and Klarna have teamed up to offer the beauty retailer’s customers a secure and contactless way to pay for goods online or in a store using the payments company’s mobile app. Bluemercury is rolling out the flexible payments solution to all of its 183 stores in the U.S. Klarna allows shoppers to buy products in four equal and interest-free installments.

To use, shoppers download the Klarna app and add it to their Google or Apple digital wallet.

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Marla Beck, co-founder and chief executive officer of Bluemercury, said last year “taught us that offering alternative purchasing options is an essential pillar for success. The introduction of Klarna in-store following our online integration allows Bluemercury to reach a new generation of shoppers. As Gen Z consumers look to invest in their skin care and wellness routines, they feel empowered to buy what they need, when they want it.”

David Sykes, head of U.S. at Klarna, described Bluemercury as “one of the strongest voices in beauty retail and a longtime trusted source for customers. We’re proud to expand our partnership with Bluemercury to enhance the shopping experience and provide customers even more convenience, safety and flexibility as they shop their favorite beauty brands online and in physical stores.”

Recent Klarna consumer research showed that “there is increased demand to shop for beauty products in-store as the country continues to open up from pandemic-related lockdowns.”

The survey, of 15,000 consumers, showed that 67 percent of respondents “said they preferred to shop for beauty products in-store prior to the pandemic” while 11 percent of Gen Z shoppers “cited going shopping for beauty products in-store three or more times per week.”

The research also revealed that “more than 20 percent of respondents across all age groups said they planned to shop in-store more once the vaccine becomes widely available.”

“Klarna’s consumer survey also found that skin care remains a top priority for beauty shoppers and was the number one spending category among shoppers of all ages (37 percent),” the company said in a statement today. “Additionally, the number one activity respondents incorporated into their health and wellness routines since the start of the pandemic was a skin care regimen (33 percent).”

Klarna said its payments solution is available in more than 60,000 physical retail stores in the U.S., and noted that Bluemercury is the “latest renowned name to join Klarna’s growing U.S. retail network,” which includes other beauty brands such as Sephora, Haus Laboratories, and Rare Beauty.

Globally, Klarna has more than 250,000 retail partners, which includes H&M, Ikea, Expedia Group, Samsung, Asos, Peloton, Abercrombie & Fitch, Nike and AliExpress, among others.

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