Consolidation in the financial sector over the last few years has resulted in small banks that were struggling for survival being taken over by the larger players.
Banking sector analysts say the trend will continue leaving half a dozen banks dominating the financial landscape.rn
rnBut it is not just the banking operations that are seeing this wave of consolidations.rn
rnIn a smaller scale, the new trend is also hitting other forms of financial intermediation banks offer, like credit and loyalty cards. rn
rnConsolidation in these areas has meant that viability of some business models have vanished almost overnight. rn
rnAnd now there is a mini battle going on in the supermarket aisles and department stores.rn
rnShoppers with growing disposable incomes have become the target of not only well laid out fancy supermarkets but also of financial institutions keen to extend credit to them.rn
rnCredit suppliers want fanatic consumers to pull out a piece of plastic with their branding when he pays.