Royal Bank of Scotland is closing more than 150 local branches as they become “centres for advice” rather than basic transactions.
In a statement issued this afternoon (23 March), the banking giant said it was responding to a “dramatic shift” in retail banking.
As a result the bank will close 30 RBS branches along with 128 NatWest branches.
An RBS spokesman said: “As customers change the way they bank with us, we must change the way we serve them.
“The role of the branch is fast moving to a centre for advice, away from basic transactions.
“While the branch will still be a core part of our offering to customers, inevitably some branches will have to close.”
The role of the branch is fast moving to a centre for advice, away from basic transactions.Simple transactions carried out at NatWest and RBS branches have fallen by 43 per cent since 2010 while online and mobile transactions increased by more than 400 per cent.
RBS has 4.2 million personal mobile users, up by more than 2 million since 2014.
As part of the changes RBS is introducing, it has created two new roles – that of community banker and that of “TechXpert”.
Community bankers will serve a local area, with a particular focus on rural communities, providing personal assistance as well as help with achieving financial plans and goals.
RBS said there would be 50 community bankers in post across the UK by the end of 2017.
The “specialist taskforce” of NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland TechXperts will be dedicated to supporting customers with training and support with digital skills.
damian.fantato@ft.com
