Financial Supermarket
Definition of 'Financial Supermarket'An institution or company that offers a wide range of financial services under one roof. Financial supermarkets provide services which typically include banking, stock brokerage and insurance, and occasionally real-estate brokerage. The basic rationale behind the financial supermarket concept is to generate more fees per client and foster customer loyalty. |
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Investopedia explains 'Financial Supermarket'While financial supermarkets may certainly offer convenience and efficiency to customers, they have not become dominant players in the financial services industry for a number of reasons. This is best exemplified by the retreat of Citibank since 2009 from its avowed objective of becoming a global financial supermarket.Firstly, increasing government regulation in the wake of the 2008 global credit crunch may hamper merger attempts in the financial industry. Secondly, in challenging economic times, price-conscious customers are likely to shop around for the best deal - whether it is the lowest interest rate on a mortgage or the least amount of commissions charged for stock transactions - rather than pay a premium price for the sake of convenience. Finally, the establishment of the Internet as a medium of disintermediation for financial services is a potent threat to the consolidation activity that is required to form a financial supermarket. |
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