Generation Y and digital banking : How can traditional Swedish retail banks address the needs and behavior of Generation Y in digital banking?

Abstract: The financial sector is transforming as a result of PSD2 and open banking. The traditional retail banks face new competition from FinTechs and BigTechs. 78 percent of Nordic banks are concerned by the threat of disruption and 88 percent think that they need to rethink their business model. Customer experience and customer journeys are crucial as customer expectations is one of the major driving forces for the changing industry.Generation Y (1989 2000) is often defined as early adopters and digital natives which makes them an important but challenging customer segment. According to the Millennial Disruption Index, the banking industry is at the highest risk of disruption from generation Y. This study focus on how traditional Swedish retail banks can manage digital transformation and the needs and behavior of the Swedish generation Y. To identify the needs and demands of generation Y, four focus groups was conducted with 31 participants and four semi-structured interviews. The results was analyzed and related to a customer journey framework and the concept of platform banking.The results indicate that the Swedish generation Y demands personalized services and products as well as tailored Omni-channel experiences. They demand an expansion of financial services in the form of a “one-stop-shop”. In order to meet these demands, traditional Swedish retail banks must utilize their customer data and weight the Swedish generation Y´s trust in their security. This will enable them to develop superior customer experiences as well as extending their context and establish themselves as banking platforms.