DIY Investor Magazine
|
Oct 2017
17
How are they disruptive? Well, they are managed to be
full, not to be fancy and exclusive.
Rooms are clean, comfortable and with an emphasis
on the home comforts – excellent showers, comfortable
bedding and so on – being provided without
compromise.
At the same time, though, there is a great attention to
detail on cost, whether that’s on light bulbs or flooring or
door fittings.
It makes a huge difference. Dalata has imported
booking and load management systems from the airline
industry and, unlike many of its peers, is not a slave
to online room vendors. As a result, its hotels boast
occupancy rates well above industry levels.
Banking on technology disruptors are also at play in the
banking sector.
Norway’s Skandiabanken is a fine example: the
company broke away from Swedish Skandiabanken in
2015 and is now Scandinavia’s largest internet-based
bank.
Online only and free from the legacy assets and
challenges that so often afflict Europe’s banks,
Skandiabanken is an interesting case in that it does not
disrupt on price – in fact, it is middle of the road.
However, its focus on a quality banking offering, the
usability of its app and the level of its online experience,
coupled with market-leading innovation when it comes
to financial product-creation, means that it is taking
market share from big incumbents, most notably the
cumbersome and in-efficient savings banks.
MISSED THE EUROPEAN SMALL CAP RALLY?
Ian Ormiston, manager of the Old Mutual Europe (ex-UK) Smaller Companies Fund explains why European small-
cap investors could still reap their rewards.
