Luxury Beauty Retailer Bluemercury To Offer BNPL With Klarna

Luxury beauty retailer Bluemercury has partnered with buy now, pay later (BNPL) firm Klarna to offer its flexible installment payments in-store and online, Klarna announced on Wednesday (Apr. 7) in a press release.

Shoppers can choose to pay with Klarna at one of Bluemercury’s 183 stores across the U.S. or online by downloading the Klarna app, making a one-time digital card and adding it to their digital wallet. Payments are secure and contactless.

The in-store availability of BNPL services like Klarna could significantly support economic recovery, as brick-and-mortar stores begin to reopen after the last year of pandemic-induced lockdowns. Klarna’s option to pay in four, interest-free installments gives customers important flexibility when shopping. In fact, PYMNTS recently found that 48 percent of those who use a BNPL option would not shop at a store that does not offer it. Klarna is available in over 60,000 brick-and-mortar locations across the U.S., including other beauty brands like Sephora and Rare Beauty.

“2020 taught us that offering alternative purchasing options is an essential pillar for success,” said Marla Beck, co-founder and CEO of Bluemercury, in the press release. “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 skincare and wellness routines, they feel empowered to buy what they need, when they want it.”

Millennial and Gen Z shoppers are most likely to use BNPL; over 26 percent of millennials and almost 11 percent of Gen Z consumers used the option to pay for their latest online buys, PYMNTS reported in the latest Buy Now, Pay Later Tracker.

And according to a recent study from Klarna, in which the firm surveyed 15,000 shoppers, 23 percent of millennial respondents and 29 percent of Gen Z respondents said they planned to shop more in-store once the vaccine is widely available, according to the press release.