In conditions of reduced availability of consumer loans and even microloans (microfinance institutions have also begun to carefully evaluate credit history and grant loans with caution, for fear of delay) of the Russian pawnshops in 2015 showed the explosive growth.
In 2016, though growth is constrained by the stricter requirements of the regulator, but still exceeds the rates of competitors. Market participants noted that pawn shops are an indicator of the economy: the more clients they have, the worse things are going.
Market participants note that this year, although the rate of growth of loans from pawnshops few to slow down due to increased regulatory activities of the Central Bank, however, remained at a high level. At the same time people really started to lay in pawn shops significantly more than in previous periods. According to representatives of the industry, a greater demand for the services of pawnshops was only observed in the midst of a crisis of 2008-2010. However, it is a value judgment, because the official statistics at that time no — the Central Bank began to regulate the activities of buyouts less than two years ago.
As for actual figures, they are impressive. According to the Central Bank, the portfolio of loans in pawnshops over the past year have significantly increased, reaching 29.4 billion rubles. If the market MFIs grew last year by about 11%, the market of pawn shops has added as much as 40%, according to the regulator. And microfinance organizations actively grow customers in the first half of the year, and then growth rate decreased. This is due to the tightening of requirements for MFIs, so they began to pay more attention to the choice of the customers. Reduce the flow of borrowers on a single market increased their number on the other. Having experienced the difficulty of obtaining micro-loans, people turned to the familiar from the Soviet era Institute of pawnshops.
The head of the National Association of pawnshops Slimy Peter sees the increased popularity of pawnshops pattern.
— Pawn shops — an indicator of welfare in the economy: when everything is OK, then the volume of the portfolio falls. Now people have run out of money, they need somewhere to take — banks fail, and in pawnshops the percent is four times lower than in MFIs, ” he comments.
According to Peter Slimy, over the last three quarters of the rates on pawn loans in the fall. If they lend under 220-230% per annum, but now the market average rate of 170%. According to forecasts, in the III quarter of the cost of borrowing may be reduced to 150%.
— Indeed, the major collateral network now cut rates even in small towns, affecting the whole market. Themselves pawn shops expect due to the increase amounts to make more, ” explains the tariff policy Peter Slimy.
How to tell the market participants, mostly in pawn shops still renting jewelry. The share of buyouts that work with them, more than 90%. Related to this is the average amount of the loan.
— The average bill has increased and is about 6 thousand rubles, as the price of gold in rubles, which depends on the dollar exchange rate and stock prices has increased. The average loan term in Russia — about 40 days, — the Chairman of the Board of the National Association of pawnshops Alexey Lazutin.
In fact, it coincides with the so-called payday lending MFIs. That is, the Russians increasingly consider pawnshops as an opportunity to seize to pay. However, the crisis intervened and then. According to Alexei Lazutin, in some regions, a slight increase in unredeemed pledges. According to him, now, their level can go up to 15%, although earlier it did not exceed 10%. He said that a noticeable trend especially in the Urals and in the southern regions.
This year the main trend is the tightening of requirements and to pawnshops. On the one hand, leads to a decrease in their number as not wishing to play by the new rules of buying are fading. According to estimates, to experience a new reality will be able not more than a half pawn shops. On the other hand, according to market participants, interest in buying up does not fall. Moreover, they acquire new clients.
According to Peter Slimy, this year the pawn shops record a new influx of borrowers.
— In fact, the growth portfolios did not stop with the beginning of 2015. According to our observations, since the beginning of this year the portfolio of pawnshops has increased more than 15-20% on the current date, — he stressed.
Representatives of other SRO (self-regulatory organization) in the Lombard market also say the influx of customers.
— Lombards have observed an increase in demand for services by about 20% this year, says the head of the Association for the development of pawnshops Sergey Sokolnikov.
But, as he points out, tighter regulation technically inhibits the growth by about the same amount. According to Sergei Sokovnikova, pawnshops extremely difficult to cope with the statements they must send to the Central Bank.
We will remind that in the autumn of 2014 pawn shops came under the supervision of the Central Bank and had to begin to take accountability. However, in 2014 and 2015, they did it very badly, which are actions taken by the regulator against them. Last year, the Central Bank moved to become more active, which already was not solely limited to fines.
— Many small pawnshops extremely difficult to adapt, others find it unprofitable to work in small cities with populations of less than 20-30 thousand inhabitants, — said Sergey Sokolnikov. Special discontent of the Lombards caused the requirement of the Central Bank to disclose financial results at any specific point.
