Klarna Expands Content Creation Services with Acquisition of Toplooks – WWD

Klarna seeks to help retailers and brands strengthen their content to drive consumer demand through the acquisition of Toplooks, an AI-powered technology company that delivers “shopping experiences.” The global payments and purchasing department said the acquisition expands its line of marketing products and services, which includes Semtail / Shoptail, a comparison shopping technology company that Klarna acquired last December.

Financial terms of the agreements were not disclosed.

Klarna said in a statement that its AI-powered content creation tools “will provide retailers with customization capabilities and almost unlimited purchasable content in native formats anywhere” through “the Klarna ecosystem and across the Internet at large. , including social channels ”.

As background, the company noted the “massive acceleration in e-commerce adoption” due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which is pushing consumers to “now seek inspiration, personalized recommendations and flexible payment options where they consume content. “

Sebastian Siemiatkowski, CEO of Klarna, said that “the fundamentals of commerce are forever changed as more and more consumers move away from shopping in traditional retail stores for omnichannel commerce.”

“Now more than ever, it’s important for retailers to create original, engaging and organized experiences to drive engagement and unlock growth with customers,” Siemiatkowski said. “With the introduction of our enhanced marketing services, we can help retailers implement impactful and actionable programs to better connect with consumers across all channels. “

Klarna has more than 250,000 business partners, including brands such as H&M, Ikea, Expedia Group, Samsung, Asos, Peloton, Abercrombie & Fitch, Nike and AliExpress, among others. The company said its retail solutions include “the ability to promote payment options later throughout a customer’s buying journey on a retailer’s website or directly to the 87 million people. Klarna consumers globally through its owned and operated network, using sponsored placements, curated wishlists, featured articles and dedicated CRM channels.

With Toplooks and Semtail / Shoptail, dynamic comparison services are now offered. Retailers and brands can use the services to list their Google Product Listings ads “more efficiently,” Klarna noted.

UK shoe brand Clarks used Klarna’s services and now uses Toplooks’ patent-pending AI shoppable content engine for their marketing. Chris Hardisty, senior vice president of e-commerce at Clarks, has said for nearly 200 years “the Clarks family has been making high quality, stylish and comfortable footwear around the world. As this same world continues to evolve towards digital communications and online shopping, we are always looking for new and innovative ways to deliver relevant and engaging content to our customers.

“Using AI-powered Dynamic Ads technology, we were able to deliver very engaging sponsored ad campaigns across multiple social media platforms while delivering significantly improved ROI,” said Hardisty. “These types of results have thrilled us with our continued partnership and the use of Toplooks technology, now that it is part of the core offerings of Klarna retailers.”