AbstractThe historic barriers between the different companies which comprise the financial services industry are breaking down. In order that organisations may prosper in the new environment the relationships between products, distribution and clients need to be understood. A theory is developed to explain the historic position and the dynamics of the current environment and indicate future trends. The conclusion is that successful organisations will be those which fully understand and specialise in a limited number of sectors, and those who start with a clientbase and a distribution system which will not inhibit the introduction of other distribution methods so that they can become multi-product and multi-distribution organisations. Finally, the paper explores the relationships between pricing policy and distribution by means of distribution chains to determine the point and degree of price sensitivity.
