Klarna grows again with second UK office in central Manchester
Klarna — Europe’s leading payments provider and the company powering Pay later for thousands of brands in the UK — has announced the expansion of its UK operations with a new office in Manchester. The expansion will complement Klarna’s current London base in the heart of the retail and fashion district at Oxford Street.
The new Klarna office, which will open in Summer 2019, will be located at the Old Granada Studios in Manchester’s fast-growing payments and retail tech hub, with Adyen, Worldpay, Dotdigital and Space 48 nearby. It will create a base for existing Klarna employees currently working in the North West and enable planned hiring over the next few months, providing immediate access to the region’s top talent pool.
Following strong growth in the UK market, which saw almost 5 million consumers use Klarna at 4,000 retailers, Manchester was the clear frontrunner for the company’s newest location. Manchester is a key strategic location for Klarna, with many of its retail partners — such as In The Style, JD Sports, and Missguided — operating across the city.
Over the past 12 months Klarna has further strengthened its UK presence, acquiring Retail Finance specialists Close Brothers Retail Finance (CBRF) and hiring over 45 new employees.
Commenting on the new office, Luke Griffiths, General Manager at Klarna UK, said: “Our expansion to Manchester is a testament to how quickly we are growing in the UK and our strong commitment to the market, our retail partners and customers. 25,000 new customers a week are choosing to Pay later with Klarna, as they appreciate the financial flexibility and control it gives.
“Manchester was a clear choice for us. Given the North West is home to some of the most exciting and innovative fashion brands in the country, fantastic talent and on-trend shoppers, we couldn’t find a better second home. By growing our presence here, we’re planning to bring our ‘smoooth’ payment options to a wider range of businesses.”
To celebrate the launch of the new Manchester office, Klarna will be hosting the first of its Northern Smoooth Sessions in July. To register your interest, please email: events.uk@klarna.com.
