Leading global retail bank, payments, and shopping service, Klarna has partnered with Country Road Group, bringing flexible payments to Country Road, Witchery, Mimco, Trenery and Politix customers.

Country Road Group joins a list of Australian fashion brands now offering to Pay in 4 with Klarna, with homegrown brands now accounting for almost 80% of Klarna’s local merchant base.

Klarna chief expansion officer, Camilla Giesecke said, “Country Road Group and its stable of brands have long-been part of the fabric of Australian fashion retailing. With a shared commitment to retail innovation and customer obsession, we’re proud to be partnering with Country Road Group to offer their customers the convenience, safety and transparency of our services.”

Country Road Group general manager of digital, Matthew Horn added, “We’ve always sought to create extraordinary customer experiences that reflect the premium, design-led products offered by our brands. Partnering with Klarna is part of our continued efforts to give customers the flexibility and choice they’re looking for and find innovative new ways to serve them.”

The partnership with Country Road Group coincides with the Spend Less. Give More with Klarna Pay in 4 campaign which ran from 1 to 14 November. Klarna gifted (wiped) the fourth instalment (up to $50) on purchases made online with participating retailers.

“The last two years have been extraordinarily challenging for Australian consumers and retailers alike and we know that the upcoming festive season will be an important moment of celebration and connection,” Giesecke said.

“Our research shows that Australian consumers plan to start their Christmas shopping earlier than ever, and that early bird shoppers plan to spend more than last year. In the spirit of the gift-giving season, we were excited to work with so many of Australia’s favourite retailers to give back to their customers.”

Klarna’s shopping service combines the convenience of its flexible ‘Pay in 4’ services with smart app features like price drop notifications, reward points and exclusive deals. The Klarna app, which enables shoppers to Pay in 4 anywhere both in-store and online, has been downloaded more than one million times in Australia, and local consumers have shopped at more than 25,000 retailers via the app.