As the shift to digital finance continues to accelerate, Barclays bank has confirmed 18 more of its branches have closed raising the projected number of total closures to 178 by the end of 2022.
Along with 28 closures last month, Barclays digital customers of 10m makes up 70% of its overall activity, compounded by a mere 10% of its transactions conducted in person.
The bank stated that this shift in customer behaviour has led it to become more digital-focused, resulting in over a hundred branch closures.
A spokesperson for the bank spoke to Which? on the growing number of closures: “We will always give 12 weeks’ notice of any branch closures, explaining the rationale for the decision, as well as highlighting alternative branches and ways to bank.
“This includes working with the local community to find different, more flexible ways for our colleagues to continue to provide local banking support, such as through pop-up presences.”
The UK bank said it would continue to review and adjust its branch network in line with its commitment to its customers and their methods of banking for the future.
Barclays branch closures follow a trend of other high-profile UK banks closing multiple branches themselves.
NatWest (55 closures), HSBC (25 closures), Lloyds Group (97 closures), and a host of more banking operators have oversaw closures mainly due to the digital shift of its consumers.
