About this report
This report reviews the UK home credit market, or doorstep lending, as the industry it is sometimes known. It quantifies the market size, historical growth rates, segmentation patterns and levels of industry profitability while reviewing key factors behind these figures.
It also contains an in-depth analysis of the relevant drivers of industry growth – in particular the macroeconomic environment and supplier trends – setting out historical trends and available forecasts. Our forecast for industry growth is based on this analysis of historical trends and growth drivers.
What are the objectives of this market report?
Home credit remains a major industry providing finance to large numbers of people throughout the country. It has continued to grow despite increasing competition from other forms of credit such as payday loans. The industry is frequently in the news but is not always well understood. Lenders are often criticised for charging high rates of interest which exploit low-income consumers. They are also frequently praised for offering credit to those who cannot obtain it from mainstream sources and giving them an alternative to illegal loan sharks. This report aims to probe beneath these two statements, explore the factors which have driven the high rates of growth and provide a view on how likely it is to continue in the future.
We believe that, in order for those involved in the home credit market to make the best decisions in this complex and changing environment, they need to have access to the best information. The aim of this report is to provide this.
It is intended for:
– Operators of home credit businesses themselves
– Investors in these businesses
– Market regulators and policymakers
– Banks, analysts, consultants and other parties with interests in the sector
What are the sources and methodology?
This report is based on:
– Interviews with senior-level contacts across the high-cost credit market
– Extensive research into published industry sources
– In-depth analysis of the macroeconomic environment and relevant home credit market drivers
– Financial analysis of the accounts of companies in the industry.
Information from these sources has been synthesised and presented clearly and concisely with extensive use of charts and tables to illuminate points and support conclusions.
Home credit market forecasts have been constructed using simple assumptions which are clearly stated. Supporting evidence is provided for our assumptions but readers can easily flex them to model alternative scenarios.
Summary
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