Blog article
See all stories »

An article relating to this blog post on Finextra:

Tesco eyes UK mortgage market

UK supermarket giant Tesco is looking to capitalise on the credit crunch by offering its customers home loans as well as current accounts.


See article

Crisis-hit banking sector picked over by retailers

Tesco's decision to expand its banking business looks like a smart move, as consumers seek a safe haven for their cash away from the carnage in the traditional banking sector.

UK supermarket chain Tesco - which serves 20 million customers a week - says it has seen the number of applications for savings accounts double in recent days. The group recently bought out its banking partner Royal Bank of Scotland, paying the crunch hit bank £1 billion for its 50% stake in Tesco Personal Finance.

Now it is looking to cash in, with plans to offer current accounts in the next 12 months, followed by mortgages "in due course".

The banking crisis has undermined consumer trust and confidence in financial services stalwarts, leaving the door open for smart new entrants. We can expect more retailers and other trusted brands to follow in Tesco's wake. At the moment, the Bank of Mickey Mouse may seem a safer bet for consumers than the mickey mouse high street bank that currently holds their deposits.

4592

Comments: (0)

Paul Penrose

Paul Penrose

Head of Research

Finextra

Member since

06 Oct 2006

Location

London

Blog posts

307

Comments

249

More from Paul

Blog post

ANZ and Visa lose the plot

Blog post

Now we are ten

Blog post

Finextra's Best of the Web

This post is from a series of posts in the group:

Trends in Financial Services

A community to discuss the future of financial services and any other interesting trends, strategies, ideas, views.


See all

Now hiring