Nationwide Building Society has underlined its commitment to retail banking, with it now having the most number of branches in the UK.
According to research from the building society, almost two thirds of people (63%) value their local branch, citing face-to-face service interaction a key reason for its importance.
The vital nature of face-to-face interaction has been emphasised given the strained economic climate and the elevated threat of fraud.
It led to Nationwide recently renewing its Branch Promise to not leave any town or city in which it is based until at least 2026 – in contrast to mass bank closures up and down the country in recent years.
Debbie Crosbie, Nationwide CEO, spoke on the commitment: “Nationwide provides the face-to-face service that people value and need. We’re the large-scale alternative to shareholder owned banks and now we have the biggest branch network too. Our branches are busy and we’re an important part of local communities.”
Nationwide’s stance on branches, in tandem with significant closure programmes, means it has now surpassed even the biggest of banks on the Great British high street.
The bank also took aim at other banks cutting their high street branches in their latest marketing campaign, which featured The Wire’s Dominic West, who played an out-of-touch bank boss.
West, who works for the fictional A.N.Y Bank, is determined to introduce cutbacks and branch closures, despite his more astute assistant, played by comedian Sunil Patel, venting his frustration at the decisions made by West’s character.
