直销银行开始“退场”

Core Viewpoint - The direct banking sector in China, once highly anticipated, is witnessing a significant decline, with major banks like Beijing Bank announcing the integration of their direct banking services into traditional mobile banking apps, marking the exit of the first direct bank [2][6]. Development of Direct Banks - The development of direct banks in China began in 2013, with Beijing Bank launching the first direct banking service, which was seen as a new era for the industry [4][5]. - At its peak, the number of direct banks exceeded 100, with city commercial banks and rural commercial banks being the primary participants [5]. Business Performance and Challenges - Beijing Bank's direct banking service saw rapid growth initially, with customer numbers reaching 476,000 by 2019 and total funds sold amounting to 11.56 billion yuan [6]. - However, since 2017, major state-owned and joint-stock banks have been adjusting their direct banking channels, leading to a trend of merging these services into mobile banking apps [6][8]. Market Dynamics - The number of operational direct banking apps has drastically reduced to about a dozen, primarily among smaller city and rural banks [2][8]. - Many direct banks have failed to establish a distinct market position, often serving merely as online extensions of traditional banking services, leading to a lack of competitive advantage [8][10]. Regulatory and Operational Constraints - The tightening of regulatory policies and the issue of product homogeneity have further restricted the growth potential of direct banks [9][10]. - Independent direct banks face significant challenges, including the need for complete operational independence from their parent banks, which complicates their ability to build profitable customer acquisition models [12][13]. Performance of Independent Direct Banks - Independent direct banks like Baixin Bank and Postal Savings Bank's Postal Huinong have not performed well, with Baixin Bank reporting a net profit decline of 23.74% in 2024 [12]. - The termination of the establishment of another independent direct bank,招商拓扑, highlights the difficulties in launching new entities in this space [13].