Imagine having a personal shopper available at the touch of a button? One who could answer questions, offer inspiration, and even keep you in mind when sales pop up in the future? With the addition of HERO, a social shopping platform and Klarna’s newest acquisition, you can enjoy those benefits and more at our 250,000+ retail partners.
Bringing the IRL experience to virtual shopping, HERO instantly connects online shoppers to in-store retail associates via texts, videos, and chats. Shop from anywhere with confidence as a brand expert follows what you’re browsing in real-time, providing as-needed assistance just as they would if you were in-store. If an item is out of stock, associates can send a text with a link to buy online later.
This “best of both worlds” scenario is exactly what customers are craving. In Klarna’s The State of Smoooth: 2021 Reopening Insights Report, we learned that 69% of consumers say the pandemic changed their shopping habits, with 80% noting that they now prefer to shop online. While plenty are enjoying browsing and buying online, the vast majority of shoppers (80%) also missed the in-person shopping experience—especially Gen Z and millennials.
Bringing e-commerce and physical retail together aligns with Klarna and HERO’s shared mission to enhance the way consumers discover and shop for products.
“Immersive shopping experiences are now expected by consumers when shopping online, and forward-thinking brands want to provide consumers with a rich, interactive way to shop for their products,” said Sebastian Siemiatkowski, CEO of Klarna. “With HERO we share an ambition to elevate the shopping experience through the convergence of online and in-store shopping experiences, supporting retailers to inform and engage consumers in new ways. We see a huge opportunity to leverage HERO’s existing platform and expertise to allow in-store retail professionals to become global brand ambassadors. This will unlock growth for retailers by creating a new hybrid shopping experience that enables consumers to make informed purchasing decisions as part of an engaging and personalised shopping journey.”
Adam Levene, Founder at HERO, added: “Klarna is a company we’ve long admired. They have built an iconic brand and proposition, and a unique culture that makes it the perfect home for our team. By joining forces we are able to bring our technology to even more merchants and consumers across the world, making online shopping more social, interactive and ultimately more human.”
All 100-plus HERO employees, who are based in London and New York, will join Klarna.
To learn more about HERO, check out this video: