LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 04: Sebastian Siemiatkowski attends the official launch of the Klarna Pop-Up on June 04, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Klarna)
Trust Klarna to transform the retail experience. The Pay later payments pioneer, launched its first UK pop-up in London’s Covent Garden on 4 June, with a celebrity-packed launch event attended by the likes of Laura Anderson, Chloe Lewis, Frankie Gaff, Sophie Habboo and Ryan Libbey.
Klarna, who’s known for delivering ‘smoooth’ payments, will use its highly-instagramable pop-up to deliver unique daily-themed fashion and lifestyle events with retailers including ASOS, Schuh, BEAUTY BAY and Swoon.
The event kicked-off with BitterSweet DJs — Ashley James and Charlotte De Carle — who performed a multi-genre party set that marked the start of a week-long immersive retail experience.
Joining in the fun, Klarna CEO and founder, Sebastian Siemiatkowski, arrived at the launch in style In a pink Klarna-wrapped Tuk-Tuk.
“Successful retail is all about positive experiences,” he said. “Consumers want inspiring and personalised shopping that sparks a little bit of joy. Today, physical retail can be high-touch, weaved together with convenience of tech to deliver this engaging experience. We want our pop-up to be an inspiration for both consumers and retailers, to help them re-imagine shopping. We also want to enable pure-play digital merchants the opportunity to connect directly with existing and new consumers with this physical store. The enthusiasm has been fantastic — we can’t wait to take this to other cities across the UK.”
From 5-12 June shoppers will be able to check out Klarna’s two-storey venue featuring a mega-mix of beauty, sport, interiors and technology brands and red-hot activities including expert styling sessions, free beauty treatments and exclusive fitness and catwalk events. Decked out in Klarna’s inimitable cool and quirky style, the store features a party-space, a gym class, a catwalk, a VIP meet-and-greet, a shake bar and even a beauty salon.
With daily themes including Motivation Monday, Transformation Thursday and Feelgood Friday, the pop-up will host several free but exclusive ticketed events including:
- ‘Strut like a supermodel’ masterclass with Ego Shoes and catwalk mentor Jamie Neale
- Motivation session with performance guru Chevy Rough and My GymWardrobe
- A beauty masterclass with Grace Day (editor at BEAUTY BAY) and make-up artist and YouTube sensation Rebecca Capel
- Fashion focus with In The Style and Lorna Luxe
- In conversation with Fashion Director Arabella Greenhill
- Yoga classes with Julie Montagu and Fashercise
- A motivational talk from health and fitness guru Sophie Aris
The Klarna Pop-up will be open to the public from 5 – 12 June at 9-11 Shorts Gardens, Covent Garden, WC2H 9AT