published 03-11-2005
ARTICLE ARCHIVE

IN THIS ISSUE...
INDUSTRY ANALYSIS: Latin America’s Need for Credit Scores
REGIONAL TRENDS: Consumer Electronics in the Caribbean

INDUSTRY ANALYSIS

Latin America’s Need for Credit Scores

by Jan Smith
Director, Financial Services Practice

Credit cards are still king in Latin America, but rising levels of bad debt are triggering greater interest in establishing credit-scoring systems.

The Latin American credit card market is once again seeing double-digit growth in 2005, proving that it is one of the most dynamic card markets in the world. Including both purchase and cash activity for all card products, transaction volume will rise to more than $50 billion in 2005, up nearly 40% over the previous year. There are more than 120 million general-purpose cards in circulation in Latin America and more than 1 million associated merchants. Although the market continues its historic domination by the trinity of Visa, MasterCard and American Express, the region’s competitive landscape is still far from consolidated. To some extent growth will come from emulating tactics used in more mature markets such as the US and Europe, but longer-term achievements will require companies to successfully navigate the unique perils of the Latin American market.

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Jan Smith is InfoAmericas' Director for the Financial Services Practice. For questions concerning market research and intelligence needs in the Financial Services sector, contact: Jan Smith Ramos Director, Financial Services Practice 305-569-9133 ext. 208

REGIONAL TRENDS

Consumer Electronics in the Caribbean

by Cecilia Canseco
and Mario Rubio
InfoAmericas Consultants

As the lagging economies of the Caribbean slowly emerge from years of recession, there is a growing base of customers who are eager to purchase luxury items after decades of hardship. This is creating new opportunities for electronics manufacturers and distributors. Although incomes have risen, price remains the determining factor motivating most purchases of consumer electronics. With the exception of a few relatively well developed areas like Puerto Rico, the Bahamas and the Virgin Islands, substantial portions of the Caribbean population have long lived below the poverty line. Puerto Rico is also a notable exception to many of the trends discussed in this article, because as a Commonwealth of the United States, it imposes no import duties. In contrast, many Caribbean nations depend on duties as an important source of government revenues.

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