Why Retail Access Fails Before Marketing Even Begins
Retail distribution is often discussed as a marketing challenge. In practice, it is a structural constraint.
Many investment strategies with solid track records never reach retail investors in Europe – not because investors are unavailable, but because the product cannot be publicly offered to them in the first place.
Understanding this distinction is the starting point for any serious discussion about retail marketing.
Europe Is Not One Retail Market
Retail public offering in Europe is:
- Jurisdiction-specific
- Prospectus-based
- Dependent on regulatory notification (passporting)
A product that is available to retail investors in one country may be unavailable in the next.
This is why many investment products remain limited to:
- Professional investors
- Private placements
- Advisory-only distribution
Not as a strategic choice, but as a structural limitation.
Without an approved base prospectus and proper passporting, marketing to retail investors is restricted by design. Distribution stops at professional investors, regardless of demand or performance.
How Retail Investors Access Investments
From the retail investor’s perspective, availability is defined by infrastructure, not explanation.
Retail investors:
- Invest through existing banks and brokers
- Expect to see a live price
- Trade during exchange hours
- Rely on standard settlement and custody
If a product does not appear in their brokerage account, it effectively does not exist.
What Retail Public Offering Enables In Practice
Retail public offering removes several distribution bottlenecks simultaneously. When iMaps ETI is issued under an approved and passported base prospectus, it can be:
- Publicly marketed to retail investors
- Distributed across multiple European jurisdictions
- Accessed without bespoke onboarding
- Traded via existing banks and brokers
iMaps ETIs are approved for Retail Public Offering in Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
Why Exchange Listing Matters For Retail Distribution
iMaps ETIs are listed on EUWAX Stuttgart. EUWAX is the largest exchange-based segment for structured investment products in Europe, hosting approximately 1.9 million instruments.
For retail distribution, this matters because:
- Pricing is continuously visible during trading hours
- Liquidity is provided by a Quality Liquidity Provider
- Settlement occurs via Clearstream, with availability in Euroclear and SIX
- Brokers such as Interactive Brokers, Traders Place, Joe Broker, Smartbroker and many major banks already support the market infrastructure
As a result, retail investors can buy ETIs like a share or an ETF – through platforms they already use.
Liquidity Is A Trading Mechanism, Not A Promise
Liquidity is often described in abstract terms. In practice, it is defined by:
- Daily exchange trading
- Quoted prices during market hours
- Executable orders via banks and brokers
iMaps ETIs trade on EUWAX from 09:00 to 17:30 CET, with daily liquidity supported by the exchange structure.
While retail public offering does not guarantee assets under management – it removes structural ceilings that private distribution cannot overcome.
So, can ETIs be marketed to retail investors in Europe?
Yes – when they are:
- Approved for retail public offering
- Listed on EUWAX Stuttgart
- Tradable via existing banks and brokers
- Liquid on a daily basis
If you would like to assess whether your strategy is structurally suitable for retail public offering, we’re looking forward to speaking with you.
