Deutsche really lost their way. I used to be their customer for 5 years but then I gave up. Over the past 20 years (roughly what the article covers) they:
- starting from a more "elite", business customer focus
- went pioneering into online banking to get younger customers
- merged the online customers when broadening out online
- tried to get rid of lower revenue customers
- bought the Postal Bank (which was focused on low income customers and had a huge number of them)
- tried to sell Postbank
The back and forth on the local German banking retail market made no sense whatsoever. Twice they were eyeing pools of lower income customers (younger, Postbank), did not fully integrate them and then backed out again.
- starting from a more "elite", business customer focus
- went pioneering into online banking to get younger customers
- merged the online customers when broadening out online
- tried to get rid of lower revenue customers
- bought the Postal Bank (which was focused on low income customers and had a huge number of them)
- tried to sell Postbank
The back and forth on the local German banking retail market made no sense whatsoever. Twice they were eyeing pools of lower income customers (younger, Postbank), did not fully integrate them and then backed out again.