Once seen as a relatively unattractive product area by many European bankers, banks have now woken up to the enormous revenue potential of consumer credit. Today's European consumer credit market is growing rapidly, is increasingly sophisticated and has numerous participants from varying backgrounds. But, which markets are growing the fastest, who are the key competitors in the market and what strategies have they adopted for success?

• This review report provides core data and analysis on the Western European consumer credit market.
• It covers the market in 16 countries in 11 individual reports, a searchable interactive database and an executive summary PowerPoint report.
• Individual reports include: Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, the Benelux region and the Nordic region.
• The report provides market and product data, market forecasts and competitor data and analysis.

European consumer credit markets have developed well in recent years, and this strong performance continued in most markets in 2005. An increased appetite for consumer credit products and the promotion of consumer credit products by lenders has pushed the market forwards.

The Western European consumer credit market is dominated by personal loans. This is not surprising given the well developed branch networks and strong bank affinity prevalent in most European markets. In contrast, credit card usage varies widely across Europe.

Italy and Portugal have the least concentrated consumer credit markets in Europe, with the top five lenders accounting for less than 40 per cent of the market. In contrast, the top five lenders in Greece, Austria and the Benelux region account for over 80 per cent of their respective markets.

• Learn how consumer credit markets in Western Europe have developed over the last five years.
• Understand the recent developments in Western European consumer credit markets in terms of regulation, competition and product innovations.
• Determine which consumer credit markets in Western Europe are likely to grow most rapidly over the next five years.