The Genesis of Strategic Marketing Control in British Retail Banking

Abstract

The British retail banking market has changed markedly since the beginning of the 1970s, and important trends and developments have increased the competitive pressures facing banks. The whole nature of competition in British retail banking has altered. New competitors and new forms of competition have appeared with increasing rapidity. These changes and the associated pressures on banks have intensified during the 1980s. At the same time, banks have increased the comparative importance of retail banking within their strategies. These pressures and their associated implications for British retail banking strategy are explored. It is emphasised that marketing will need increasingly to dominate bank strategies in retail banking. This orientation towards marketing has important strategic and managerial consequences for banks.