Online Shopping

Klarna Launches Virtual Shopping Service to Boost Merchant and Volume

By Keisha P. Crabtree 4 days ago
  • Klarna launches Virtual Shopping, meant to drive merchant acquisition and volume.
  • The new service will connects online shoppers with in-store retail associates via live chat and video to get product advice and shopping inspiration.
  • Insider Intelligence publishes hundreds of insights, charts, and forecasts on the Payments & Commerce industry. Learn more about becoming a client.

The news: Klarna launched Virtual Shopping, which connects online shoppers with in-store retail associates via live chat and video to get product advice and shopping inspiration, per a press release.

Drawbacks of online shopping according to consumers worldwide chart



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More on this: Virtual Shopping builds on technology from Hero, which Klarna acquired last July. The solution was already live with 300 brand partners but now extends to Klarna’s base of more than 400,000 global merchants. Customers can access Virtual Shopping on retail websites, and merchants can connect their employees to these customers via the Klarna Store app.

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How to Earn AmEx Points From Online Shopping

By Keisha P. Crabtree 5 days ago

Nowadays, most bank, airline and hotel programs seem to offer an online shopping portal. Among the crowd, one online shopping portal stands out: Rakuten. Like many portals, Rakuten — formerly known as Ebates — offers members the ability to earn cash back when making online purchases. However, Rakuten offers one feature that no other shopping portal offers: the ability to earn American Express Membership Rewards points.

But does it make sense for you to earn AmEx points from online shopping instead of cash back? And is Rakuten the best shopping portal for your situation? Here’s a look at how online shopping portals like Rakuten work and how you can use Rakuten to earn AmEx points.

How to use Rakuten to earn AmEx points from online shopping

By default, Rakuten earnings are paid as cash back on a quarterly basis through a “Big Fat Check” or a PayPal deposit. However, in

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Thrifting gains popularity as KC shoppers look to save money

By Keisha P. Crabtree 6 days ago

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — If you want a cute dress or some home goods, chances are, you’re looking to buy secondhand, according to a new report by online retailer threadUP.

According to the report, the resale market is the fastest growing apparel market in the U.S. Globally, the resale market is expected to grow 127% by 2026.

“Thrifting used to be like, ‘Oh no you’re going thrifting,’ but now you get to find like really cool finds,” said teenager Jacqueline Morgan, who was shopping at the Goodwill store in Liberty Tuesday afternoon.

Sixty-two percent of Gen Z and Millennial shoppers surveyed said they look for an item secondhand before purchasing it new.

The biggest motivating factor for buying used, though, is saving money.

“Shoppers come through often because they know that they can find great deals at a reasonable price, at a fraction of what they would pay at

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Klarna Elevates the Online Shopping Journey Through Virtual Shopping

By Keisha P. Crabtree 1 week ago

While consumers continue to shop online at great volume, in-store shopping remains the dominant channel — which, according to Klarna’s Shopping Pulse Report, is largely due to social interaction and a higher level of customer service.

Now, having pinpointed the need for these interactions to provide consumers with more confidence in online shopping, Klarna is making moves to place human interaction at the center of the consumer’s shopping journey.

More from WWD

Through its new feature, Virtual Shopping from Klarna, the company will enable consumers to browse and buy online more confidently by providing a direct connection with experts in physical stores via live video and messaging. According to the company, the new feature allows retailers to provide a highly personalized and immersive experience that it contends will ultimately lead to increased customer engagement, reduce returns and drive loyalty.

Through the merchant-facing Klarna store app, in-store teams can use

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