NatWest will close 55 bank branches within five months, it has been confirmed. Some 46 locations are set for closure in England, while nine branches will shut in Wales.
The majority of sites will close in September and October, while a few dates are yet to be confirmed. This bank had already announced it would shut 53 branches this year, marking a major withdrawal for NatWest from the UK high street. The latest data from Which? showed the NatWest Group, which includes the Royal Bank of Scotland and Ulster Bank, has shut 1,455 branches since 2015.
This includes the closure of 48 branches in 2024, and almost 20 in 2023. Many major banks have made similar announcements, attributing the closures to changing customer behaviours towards online banking.
A spokesperson from the bank said more than 80% of active current account holders now use digital services and more than 97% of its retail accounts are now opened online.
They added: “While we are increasingly engaging our customers digitally, our branch network remains important to us. We are also significantly investing in refreshing our network.
“Like any business, we strive to meet our customers’ changing needs and expectations and we’ve been responding to the industry wide shift towards digital services by investing to broaden what customers can do themselves and to offer them greater personalisation.”
They said NatWest expects to invest more than £20million into its UK network in 2025 to “improve customer service, enhance the look and feel of our branches, and reduce the environmental impact of our buildings” and invest in shared solutions like the Post Office and Banking Hubs.
The bank confirmed it would provide temporary Community Pop-Ups for 12-weeks throughout the transition period. For face to face support, customers can use any bank within the NatWest group for everyday services.
The Express has contacted NatWest for comment.
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