These are the questions that Swedish Company Klarna are urging their customers to consider before buying on their online fashion site. Klarna are one of the largest online tech companies in Europe with 8 million plus customers. These questions are posed before you press that green button. The answer is of course aided by the fact that you will not have to pay anything till 30 days later and then you can pay in three instalments, without interest or other charge. Meantime Klarna pay their suppliers 98% of the sale price day one and the show begins. Klarna operate off the 2% margin plus their wholesale price offering and subsequent cash flows. It’s neat it’s nothing new but it’s hip digital and convenient. Buy now pay later is not a new model.
Whatever your ‘ it ‘ might be these are three useful questions to ask especially if one is making long term decisions like a business start up, a marriage, a business partnership or to start parenthood. However so often we have all pressed the green button and dived into situations that later we may have regretted. Let’s look at the questions
(1) Do I love it ? Love usually takes time and is best bedded with deep roots of feeling rather than whim. Love conquers all but take time before you go into battle especially as when the times get tough in a business partnership or marriage love will certainly need to get going. (2) Is it worth it ? Anything that is good and lasting takes effort, everything is give and take. The issue of worth it is of course selfish, your decision maybe worth a lot to others, a new born baby for example or an elderly parent. Worth requires one to be worthy, up for the task, fit for purpose and sustainable in all. (3) Do I need it ? Invariably not, we are often in excess mode and hoarding things has reached epidemic proportion as it becomes a mental illness. Need can so easily become greed and that’s ugly. Yes you do need to be a good child, good parent and good citizen. Others need you and rely on you, need should not be that one way street but life’s dual carriageway to travel on. Buying recklessly can lead to problems you don’t need and anyway can someone really love a pair of jeans or a microwave ?
I applaud Klarna for daring to ask the question, though the buy now pay later and in instalments will overcome the majority answering these questions as they press that green button in that single euphoric moment. Does green really mean go or should the button be amber or better still red. Life’s major questions only get answered by the passage of time and the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Alas the meal of life does not get served instantly and time tells. Klarna are no fools they know that the fools out there will press green irrespective of consequence. By the way that shirt you’re wearing but have yet to pay for looks good on you. Sanity before Vanity is best.
qbitblogger 