(30 May 2012 – Australia) Despite the market share gains in the retail space of boutique FX providers such as Western Union and Ozforex, recent data by industry consultants East & Partners has shown, in the business market at least, the Big Four domestic providers still account for the majority of market share.Western Union now has the majority of primary relationship share in both the SME
and Micro business segments in Spot FX, with a substantial 20.6 percent and 21.6
percent respectively, based around its challenger acquisition strategy. It is
still, however, well behind the combined positioning of Australia’s Big Four
domestic banks. Over the last four years the Big Four banks have increased their
primary relationship share in Spot FX across the Lower Corporate, SME and Micro
segments, with gains of 9.3 percent, 6 percent and 3.6 percent respectively.
Spot FX Market Share
| % of Primary Relationship | ||||
| 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | |
| Lower Corporate | ||||
|
Big Four |
60.3 | 62.9 | 65.5 | 69.6 |
|
Other |
39.7 | 37.1 | 34.5 | 30.4 |
| SME | ||||
|
Big Four |
58.6 | 62.1 | 63.2 | 64.6 |
|
Other |
41.4 | 37.9 | 36.8 | 35.4 |
| Micro | ||||
|
Big Four |
57.1 | 56.9 | 60.4 | 60.7 |
|
Other |
42.9 | 43.1 | 39.6 | 39.3 |
Source: East & Partners’ Australian Business Foreign Exchange Markets report –
May 2012
The Micro segment seems the most open out of the three segments to banking their
FX products with a ‘challenger’ brand, with 39.3 percent of Micro companies
saying their primary provider is a provider other than the Big Four. This number
is down from 42.9 percent in 2009 but recent macroeconomic events often result
in companies taking short term shelter with the financial institutions they
perceive as the most stable.
Further highlights of the report covering Spot FX, FX Options and Forward FX
markets include:
-
Share of mind across the three segments, by bank
-
Share of product wallet across the three segments, by individual providers
-
Competitive customer satisfaction performance
- Primary and secondary relationship share across the three segments, by bank and against market-wide performance
Paul Dowling, East & Partners’ Principal Analyst commented. “Specialist FX
providers have been active and very successful in acquiring share in the
Australian business markets but are having to respond to two key themes now
confronting them – one is the fightback by the major commercial banks that has
been underway for some time as they have deployed cross sell and customer
retention strategies; the second is the natural flight to “safety” many
businesses have initiated in response to the credit conditions around them.”
“FX remains, however, the most banked-away from main bank product market of all
and is a hugely competitive space” Mr Dowling added.
About East & Partners’ Australian Business Foreign Exchange Markets report
This ongoing six-monthly market monitor provides benchmarks against which FX
providers can measure the success of their service proposition. This standalone
report addresses the FX markets across the Micro, SME and Lower Corporate
segments.
The program monitors product engagement, performance and behaviours across these
core markets, and provides market share and wallet share being achieved by
individual providers against market-wide performance.
Note: Market Segments:
› Lower Corporate – A$20-100 million
› SME – A$5-20 million
› Micro – A$1-5 million
| To interview East & Partners on this Business Foreign Exchange report, please contact: Sian Dowling |
For more information on the Australian Business Foreign Exchange report, please contact: David Brown |