Private-Label Credit Cards Soar Past $130 Billion by 2010.

New York, October 14, 2006— Flying in the face of repeated predictions of decline, the private-label credit card market continues to soar. Touching $106 billion in receivables in 2005, the market is projected to reach $131 billion by 2010, according to Private-Label Credit Cards in the U.S., the latest market research from Packaged Facts.

Packaged Facts anticipates that the market will continue to grow steadily at a compound annual rate of 4.4% over the next four years as branded cards—everything from gas and home-store cards to fashion and boutique cards—continue to find favor with consumers, even amid the glut of other payment options. The appeal of rewards, 0% financing, 10% off initial purchase, and similar tried-and-true marketing efforts, has not worn off. Consumers in all age brackets, from young adults to seniors, continue to avail themselves of easy private-label credit options.

Not surprisingly, the three top private-label issuers—Citi Commerce Solutions, GE Money, and HSBC—dominate with a combined 81% market share. The remaining handful of third-party issuers and a few holdout proprietary issuers continue to maintain their presence in a climate of continuous consolidation, but with little hope of achieving significant growth.

“Competition among third-party issuers is extremely fierce and there are few prospects for making further inroads into this saturated market,” notes Don Montuori, the publisher of Packaged Facts. “We expect growth to come from newer technologies which better communicate with and for consumers. “Contactless cards have made surprising inroads into the market and appear to be the ticket to boosting receivables for large retailers.”

This 5th edition of Private-Label Credit Cards in the U.S. provides a pointed market analysis of a market that has exceeded expectations over the last five years. The report examines trends, mergers, and acquisitions; offers competitive profiles of industry leaders; and looks at consumer trends and behaviors surrounding the use of private-label cards. Priced at $3,250, this report can be purchased directly from Packaged Facts by visiting: http://www.packagedfacts.com/pub/1189511.html. It is also available at MarketResearch.com.

About Packaged Facts
Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com, publishes market intelligence on a wide range of consumer industries, including consumer goods and retailing, food and beverage, and demographics. For more information visit www.PackagedFacts.com, or contact Tom Ehart at 240.747.3014, or tehart@marketresearch.com.