The news: Affirm’s buy now, pay later (BNPL) payment platform will now be available at Mattress Firm, per a press release.
Customers can either select Affirm online at checkout or apply using a link sent to their smartphone by an in-store associate.
The strategy: BNPL platforms struggle to capture in-store retail purchases, where the bulk of transactions occur. Strategic partnerships help BNPL companies more easily penetrate into this market. Affirm counts World Market as another recent in-store partner.
Affirm has also deployed its Affirm Card, a debit card with BNPL functionality, as a workaround to retail hangups. The company credited both partnerships and the Affirm Card with the company’s strong Q3 results.
Like World Market’s furniture, Mattress Firm’s mattresses are big-ticket items—driving consumer interest in installment plans at checkout and boosting Affirm’s transaction volume.
Strange bedfellows: While Affirm’s partnership with Mattress Firm has the trappings of a best-fit financial collaboration, consumer demographic trends don’t necessarily align for maximum in-store shopping effectiveness.