Bert Wolfs

The technological developments in the banking sector have significant implications for banks and are dramatically changing the way retail banks conduct their business. Banks can invest in digital banking (DB) services either to acquire a strategic advantage or because doing so has become a strategic necessity. This study is organized to examine if DB service channels have any positive or negative impact on Turkish deposit banks’ performance. With this aim in mind, in the first stage of the proposed DEA model, physical assets are used. Then, in the second stage, DB service channels are added to see if they have any impact on banks’ performance. The results show that the banks are investing in DB services just to keep the competition as it is. In other words, they invest in DB services as a strategic necessity. DB services do not provide any strategic advantage to any banks in terms of financial performance or efficiency since the banks are already efficient. Investing in DB only helped to preserve their strategic positions. The Turkish deposit banking industry is very competitive and very profitable, and it is necessary to invest in DB services just to keep the competition as it is.