Branching out: why banks are back on the British high street
In towns such as Northampton, in-person help with finances is a promise many customers still depend upon On a crisp Friday morning in early December, Abington Street in Northampton is starting to stir. Despite having lost high street stalwarts like Marks & Spencer, Moss Bros and H&M in recent years, it is drawing in locals for one end-of-week errand: banking. Along the pedestrianised road, customers are streaming in and out of HSBC, Barclays, Metro Bank and the building society Nationwide. But it is a rare scene that defies a wider trend: more than 6,000 bank branches in the UK have closed since 2015 as bosses try to cut costs and push millions of customers towards online services. Continue reading...
In towns such as Northampton, in-person help with finances is a promise many customers still depend upon
On a crisp Friday morning in early December, Abington Street in Northampton is starting to stir. Despite having lost high street stalwarts like Marks & Spencer, Moss Bros and H&M in recent years, it is drawing in locals for one end-of-week errand: banking.
Along the pedestrianised road, customers are streaming in and out of HSBC, Barclays, Metro Bank and the building society Nationwide. But it is a rare scene that defies a wider trend: more than 6,000 bank branches in the UK have closed since 2015 as bosses try to cut costs and push millions of customers towards online services.
Continue reading...