Consumer selection criteria for banks in Poland

Abstract Reports on a study of consumer banking habits in Poland compared with findings in other countries to determine whether bankers need to adopt different strategies in the relatively new free‐market economies. First, presents an overview of the evolution of the Polish banking system since the restructuring of the National Bank of Poland in 1987 and the resulting intensively competitive environment for new banks. Second, reports on the reasons why Poles have chosen specific banks. Finds that in Poland, as in other countries, the most important variables influencing customer choice are reputation, price and service, but with certain variations related to the Polish context. Concludes with a discussion of the implications for marketing strategy formulation and implementation.