Since 2005, Klarna has been on a mission to revolutionise the retail banking industry. And the hard work is paying off. The leading global retail bank, payments, and shopping service has officially reached the milestone of 500,000 total consumers in Ireland.

It's no surprise, given how smooth a shopping experience can be once you're signed up with the services. The beauty of Klarna is that it allows you to buy now and pay later, so you can get what you love today.

It was against this backdrop that Thurles singer-songwriter and broadcaster Una Healy jumped on the decks as the special guest DJ for Klarna's first ever Irish 'Smooth Sessions'. The event saw leading voices in retail coming together to discuss the future of shopping.

The guest-list was made up of Klarna’s retail partners, industry leaders, media, influencers and VIPs, giving the audience a chance to network, share insights, learn from one another and engage with the panel discussion.

The charismatic Darren Kennedy expertly chaired the discussion on 'Reimagining Retail: an Omnichannel Approach'.

Among those taking part were founder of Peachylean, Sharon Keegan; Brand Director at Lifestyle Sports, Emma Mulligan; Payments Manager at Inditex Global, Dave Redmond; and Marketing and Digital Director at Woodies, Suzanne Quinn – all of whom provided fascinating insights on where retail is going.

Alongside the panel's informed insights on trading sustainably and brand innovation/technologies, Una Healy entertained guests with a live set, wearing gear from Club L London – available, of course, to purchase via Klarna.

EVOLVING CONSUMER DEMANDS

Since its launch with 'Pay in 3' in November last year, Klarna has brought huge product updates to Irish customers to improve their shopping experiences.

“It was wonderful to see so many fresh and familiar faces and have the opportunity to kick off the first ever Irish instalment of the Klarna Smoooth Sessions," Colin Creagh, Head of Klarna Ireland, said of the event.

"It’s an exciting moment for us as we look to unlock growth opportunities for our partners of all sizes as part of our leading initiatives for Ireland. Irish consumers are keen digital adopters and now more than ever are looking for options that can give them greater control and flexibility over how they want to shop and pay.

"500,000 consumers now trust Klarna in Ireland and we will continue to disrupt the retail banking industry and grow our presence in the country,” Creagh added.

Klarna is empowering its Irish customers with a better shopping experience and greater control, transparency and choice over how they pay. Irish consumers can shop online and split their purchases into three interest-free equal payments (‘Pay in 3’) through both the Klarna app and directly via integrated partner retailers.

The ‘Express Checkout’ function provides a faster and safer checkout process and ‘Pay Now’ allows consumers to pay immediately and in full whenever Klarna is available.

The new money management feature in the Swedish fintech company's app also gives consumers fully transparent access to their spending.

Klarna’s launch of an interest-free and fee-free alternative to high-cost credit comes as Irish consumers shift away from credit cards towards debit for most of their day-to-day spend.

With over 800 merchant partners in Ireland, Klarna is committed to helping Irish retailers, both big and small, to meet evolving consumer demands and improve their customer experience.

For more information, visit Klarna.com.

T&Cs: Please shop responsibly. You must be 18+ to use this credit offer. Missed payments may affect your ability to use Klarna in the future. ROI residents only. Subject to status. T&Cs apply klarna.com/ie/terms-and-conditions/