Klarna taps AI for human shopping experience in major autumn launch

Klarna, the AI-powered global payments network and shopping assistant has today unveiled a treasure-trove of 13 new products as part of its Spotlight Fall launch. Shopping lens, the agship new feature, brings the cutting edge capabilities of AI to shoppers helping them to nd a great deal on sought after products through simply taking a picture.

In May this year, Klarna released research that found 8 out of 10 shoppers look forward to having an AI shopping assistant. This launch builds on Klarna’s previous application of AI to provide a discovery shopping feed which recommends products based on personal interests and enhanced with the global roll-out of shoppable video.

Klarna is also taking new tech to the high street with a feature that gives smart spenders instant access to detailed product information when in-store by scanning the item’s barcode for customer reviews, to see whether there could be different colours or variants available

online, or if they can nd it for a cheaper price. Now all modes of inspiration – whether from the physical world or online – are plugged into Klarna’s world-leading search and compare tool so consumers can get product information and price comparisons fast.

“Klarna is the smarter choice, whether you’re looking for shopping inspiration, personalised recommendations, or nding the best price,” said Sebastian Siemiatkowski, CEO and Co-founder of Klarna, “Just like the internet gave everyone access to information, AI gives everyone access to intelligence, context and personalization. At Klarna we’re using this to bridge the gap between the physical and digital world, connecting how humans get inspired with how computers search. I’m super proud that Klarna is leading this revolution in retail.”

Klarna Lens: Seen something you like? Snap it, search it and shop it

The world is now shoppable with the global launch of Klarna’s in-app AI shopping lens, giving consumers the power to snap, search and shop almost anything around them. Ever found yourself mesmerised by someone’s shoes, but clueless about where to nd them? Simply snap a picture and let Klarna take care of the rest.

With the in-app camera feature, the shopping lens can visually identify over 10 million items – be it a piece of clothing, home decor or electronics- and match these with over 50 million store offers in Klarna’s search and compare tool, enabling curious shoppers to learn more, and compare prices, retailers and reviews. Shoppers will also be shown similar items that match the style of the pictured product, sparking even more inspiration for products they may have never known existed. The shopping lens is available to consumers in the US, UK, Germany, Sweden, Denmark and Norway.

Shoppable videos arrive in Europe, following success in the US

Blending the best of social, video, and ecommerce, shoppable video brings a stream of thumb-stopping content into the Klarna app. Shoppers can explore everything from unboxings and tutorials, to reviews and product drops from videos made by trusted brands and Klarna’s global creator community which can be shopped directly from the video. Thanks to the app’s AI-powered recommendation engine, consumers can enjoy a truly personalised video experience, with content that aligns with their unique interests.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Klarna to offer in-app shoppers an immersive way to discover our extensive range of jewellery. The shoppable videos enable a much more personalised and intuitive journey to help customers nd their perfect Pandora piece.” said Ruth House, Head of Paid Media, at Pandora UK&I.

In-store scanning provides instant access to detailed product information

With in-store shopping continuing to dominate, consumers want the searchability of the online shopping experience in brick and mortar stores.

In response, Klarna has globally rolled out the ability for consumers to scan the barcodes of more than 10 million products across stores for instant access to useful, detailed product information, such as customer reviews, whether there are other variants or colours available online, and price comparisons. Using the app’s built in camera scanning feature, this

provides consumers peace of mind – and also pay by scanning a QR code at integrated merchants.

Klarna is also announcing an additional 10 highly-anticipated product updates in response to consumer feedback, including:

•  Sustainability search lters
  New sustainability certication lters added to the app’s intelligent search and compare tool further empower consumers with the tools to shop more consciously. These enable consumers to easily identify products which have third-party sustainability certications from Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), and Cradle to Cradle.
•  A new cashback program

  In the Klarna app, UK shoppers can now earn up to 10% of their purchase amount back with Klarna’s new cashback program when they choose Pay Now, Pay in 3 or Pay Later at the checkout of retailers with active offers – including popular brands such as FARFETCH, River Island, The North Face and Hotels.com. This can then be applied for a discount on their next purchase when checking out with Klarna, either online or in the app. Moving away from the traditional points-based set-up, Klarna will give consumers more transparency and exibility over how they earn and spend their reward

• Sign in with Klarna
  Trouble remembering passwords? Klarna has started rolling out a single sign-in solution, which allows consumers to use their Klarna logins for an even smoother sign-in and checkout experience at participating retailers, eliminating the need to create and remember multiple usernames and passwords, providing Klarna’s large consumer network with the convenience of logging in or checking out with just one click. Available globally, retailers can integrate the service to give Klarna consumers a seamless shopping experience.
• Express refunds
  Provides faster refunds on eligible returns when purchases are made using Klarna’s interest-free Pay in 3 in the UK. By providing a valid tracking number when initiating a return through the app, Klarna will pre-issue a refund so consumers can cut down waiting times and enjoy a smooth, hassle-free returns process.
• Gift Card Store – UK Launch 2024
  In response to the high demand for gift cards during the holiday season, Klarna has partnered with Blackhawk Network (BHN), a leading global branded payments provider, to offer a Gift Card Storein the Klarna app in the US. This collaboration brings an extensive selection of gift card options from renowned retailers into the Klarna app, allowing consumers to purchase gift cards using Klarna. Currently available in the US, the Gift Card Store is planned to roll out in the UK early next year.
• Conscious shopping dashboard – UK Launch 2024
  Despite a growing interest in environmentally and ethically sustainable practices nearly 8 out of 10 consumers admit to struggling with identifying

environmentally-friendly companies that align with their interests and values. To solve this information gap, Klarna has introduced a conscious shopping dashboard which serves as a centralised resource offering consumers access to a comprehensive array of sustainability-oriented products, features, and services provided by Klarna. The dashboard is available today in the US and will launch across additional markets in the coming months.

To read about all of Klarna’s latest products, click here.

Klarna Spotlight is a recurring format where Klarna reveals its latest product innovations for consumers and retailers. For a full overview of Klarna’s latest product updates for Spotlight Fall ‘23, click here