Klarna partners with Cosmopolitan to livestream virtual shopping event

A global payment app and a major young women’s media brand are entering a leading-edge digital shopping space.

Klarna is partnering with Cosmopolitan to host the second, bi-annual “Hauliday by Cosmo x Klarna,” which the companies say is the first-ever virtual shopping event specially created for Gen Z and millennials. The 48-hour event, which debuted in August 2020, will take place March 1-2, 2021.

The two-day Hauliday event will feature sales across fashion, apparel, footwear, and beauty from retailers such as Macy’s, Rebecca Minkoff, Saks Off 5th, Express, Bluemercury, and Foot Locker. This year’s event also marks the introduction of a livestream shopping component in partnership with livestream retail platform ShopShop.

"Cosmopolitan helps inform and inspire the purchasing decisions of millions of young women who come to the brand each day,” said Nancy Berger, senior VP, publishing director and chief revenue officer, Cosmopolitan. “Alongside our partner Klarna and their large network of retail partners, we are excited to kick off this year’s event. Our goal with the second Hauliday event, complete with a livestream shopping element, is to deliver an interactive and fun shopping experience for our audience of digitally-savvy consumers whose purchasing habits continue to evolve.”

Attendees can join the livestream shopping experience at Macy’s Herald Square flagship store via the ShopShops app on March 1 and 2 at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. EST, hosted by style expert Jackie Miranne. Livestreaming is becoming an increasingly popular digital commerce channel, with retailers including Walmart, J.C. Penney, QVC, and Fred Segal all launching livestream shopping efforts in recent months.

“Following the success of last year’s Hauliday event, in which Klarna saw three times the volume on our app compared to an average weekend in 2020, we’re thrilled to continue our partnership with Cosmopolitan for round two,” said David Sandstrom, chief marketing officer, Klarna. “The newly-added livestream shopping component enables us to improve the shopping experience for our 15 million US customers and drive even more engagement and sales for our participating retail partners.”

“This year's 'Hauliday' hosted by Cosmo and Klarna is a perfect fit for Macy’s,” said Nata Dvir, Macy’s chief merchandising officer. “We are always exploring new ways to inspire our customers’ personal style and are excited to bring the thrill of shopping at our iconic Herald Square flagship directly to shoppers from the comforts of home through an immersive livestream experience.”