How DSW Is Using POS Financing To Boost Online Spend

Buy now, pay later (BNPL) solutions seem perfect for the occasional luxury buy — but luxury retailers are far from the only businesses that could benefit from introducing installment payment solutions.

The average consumer makes luxury purchases only rarely, after all, and 40 percent of consumers still place price as the most important factor they consider when shopping. This explains why retailers across the board, not just luxury merchants, are enabling or at least intrigued by installment payments, as today’s consumers search for brands which can accommodate their budgets as well as their need for speed and convenience.

In the latest “Buy Now, Pay Later Tracker®,” PYMNTS analyzes how BNPL solutions could be used for more routine spending and why they are becoming more popular among consumers and retailers alike in a variety of markets. The Tracker also examines how regulators and other businesses are interacting with BNPL payment providers and enabling further growth in the industry.

Around The Buy Now, Pay Later World

Retailers in different markets are integrating BNPL solutions into their online checkouts as consumers start to embrace the payment method. Los Angeles-based workwear retailer Argent has integrated installment payment provider Afterpay onto its platform, for example, enabling consumers to pay for clothing and other purchases on its online site through four installments. The support for the payment solution was designed both to draw in new consumers and to support existing users of the site, according to Argent executives.

Australia remains one of the top markets for BNPL. Thirty percent of all Australian adults now have at least one account with a BNPL service, and spending attached to these installment payment methods encompassed about 8 percent of all retail spending in the country in 2019, according to one report. Consumers seem to be finding BNPL beneficial and it is likely that this growth will continue over the next year.

Regulators are also taking an interest in the spread of BNPL solutions, with the Australian Finance Industry Association (AFIA) regulatory agency announcing the release of a new code of conduct for installment payment providers in the country. AFIA worked together with BNPL providers to create the code, which is designed to create protections and safeguards for consumers using these methods as well as enabling BNPL to continue to grow and compete.

To learn more, visit the Tracker’s News And Trends.

DSW On BNPL Benefiting The Everyday Shoe-Shopper

It is easy to see BNPL as a payment solution that only applies to luxury purchases or those that fall on the more expensive side, but the typical consumer makes those types of transactions rarely. What they’re really looking for are payment solutions that can help them manage more routine spending. Consumers today are looking for convenient ways to shop, and that includes low prices that can fit their budgets, something that BNPL solutions may help to enable, according to Chad Miller, senior director of digital experience for retailer Designer Brands. Miller discusses how Designer Brand footwear retailer DSW is supporting its shoppers by integrating installment payment solution Afterpay into the checkout experience on its online and mobile platforms. To learn more about how DSW is using BNPL as a way to entice consumers, visit the Tracker’s Feature Story.

How BNPL Tools Can Be Used For Routine Retail Purchase Benefits

Consumers still place a high degree of importance on price, and retailers in markets such as Australia and the U.S. are finding ways to support these shoppers as they search for bargains. BNPL solutions could be one of the top ways retailers build relationships with these consumers, who are looking for trusted retailers that will allow them to spend without larger impacts to their financial health. Installment payments could potentially benefit both shoppers looking to stay within their budgets and retailers competing not just with other, local brands, but with competitors on a global scale. To learn more about how BNPL could be used to benefit consumers making daily purchases, visit the Tracker’s Deep Dive.

About the Tracker

The “Buy Now, Pay Later Tracker®,” a PYMNTS and Afterpay collaboration, brings you the latest news and research from the buy now, pay later and retail space. It features expert analysis regarding changing payment trends as well as insights from top insiders within the retail and fashion industries.