The environment in which banks operate can be perceived in two perspectives - as the general "distant" environment, which could be termed the macro-environment, and the direct market environment, the "close" micro-environment. Changes observable in recent years in the banking environment of the developed economies force the banks to abandon the traditional mode of operation and undertake extensive marketing activities, both on a strategic and operational scale.

The paper seeks to determine whether the changes noted worldwide, such as, amongst others, increasing competition in the financial services market or the gradual deregulation of this market are also observable in Poland. To this end, the author has analyzed the elements constituting the banks´ micro-environment (such as depositors, borrowers, the competition). She has also evaluated the impact of these elements upon the Polish financial market opening process and the prospects for the development of retail banking.

The analysis leads to the conclusion that this influence is diversified. The greatest threat to the opening process in the financial market is posed by the fact that retail financial services market is bank-dominated, while the position of potential competitors is relatively weak. The opening process should get an additional boost from the expected expansion in the assets of open pension funds.

As regards the future of retail banking, most changes taking place in the micro-environment must be seen as unconducive to its development. The greatest dangers include the low affluence of the society, undesired trends in loans and deposits and the expected rapid increase in the assets of open pension funds. On the other hand, low saturation of the domestic retail banking market is definitely an opportunity.