Strategy
The adjustment of the Strategic Framework confirms that Rabobank pursues market leadership in the
Netherlands as an all-finance service provider.This market leadership strategy also includes roles for
mortgage provider Obvion as well as for Bizner, the corporate Internet bank. By increasing its focus on
the corporate market, Rabobank aims to be the largest and most important corporate bank. In addition,
it has expressed its ambitions for growth in the market for private banking. As a result of a stronger focus
on sound balance sheet ratios, the local Rabobanks will be financing a large proportion of their growth
in lending from amounts due to customers. The implementation of the Rabobank 2010 programme is
another important element in the adjusted strategy.
Rabobank 2010 programme to the next level
Rabobank wishes to be available to its clients 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our virtual era makes
innovation and improvement in customer service possible at lower costs.To achieve this, Rabobank
developed its Rabobank 2010 programme. Process optimisation is an important element of the
programme. Core aspects are tight control of throughput and processing times and the right-in-one
principle. In 2007, a pilot was held at five local Rabobanks together with Rabobank Nederland, and the
programme was tested further at nine pilot banks in 2008. It is now available to other local Rabobanks
and meanwhile the programme has been launched by fourteen banks.
Strengthened market leadership in the Netherlands
The financial crisis and government interventions caused great changes in the Dutch banking landscape
in 2008. Due in part to its stability, Rabobank Group succeeded in expanding its leading market positions
in a number of areas including the savings market, which showed a 6% growth as a result of the negative
mood on the stock exchange. Despite the increased competition, Rabobank Group's share of the savings
market, including Roparco, rose by 2 percentage points to 43%. The local Rabobanks saw a significant
inflow of new clients and savings.
Although the total Dutch mortgages market showed a 15% decline in 2008, Rabobank's market share
in domestic retail banking increased to 30% (28%). Due in part to the success of the new Rabo Opbouw-
Hypotheek, the market share of the local Rabobanks increased to 23.6% (22.4%). Although Obvion's
market share declined during the final months of 2008, its market share for the year was 0.7 percentage
points higher, at 6.0%. Rabobank was the market leader in all SME sectors and its share of the total
SME market increased to 39% (38%). In the market for start-ups, its market share increased to 39% (38%).
In the agricultural sector, Rabobank remained the clear market leader, with a market share of 84% (84%).
The strategy of recent years to focus on young and larger agricultural enterprises resulted in larger
market shares among these enterprises in 2008. Rabobank has traditionally had a strong position in
the non-urban areas. However, the policy for growth in large cities, which was introduced in 2007,
has resulted in an improved market position in urban areas, with the market share in the SME sector
growing to 29% (27%).
Market shares
in
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Mortgages
Savings
SME
29
Report of the Executive Board
