The UK’s branch network has undergone a seismic shift. More than 6,700 bank
and building society branches have closed since 2015: around 68% of the
total network. Yet the appetite for in-person support has not faded; it has
transformed. SBS research shows that 85% of consumers would use an in-person
service if their bank or building society made it more accessible.
The modern branch is no longer defined by bricks and mortar. It is defined
by flexibility: community-based hubs, shared spaces, pop-up locations, and
the ability to connect customers with knowledgeable colleagues wherever they
need them. Done right, the branch shifts from a legacy cost to a strategic
capability.
The discussion will span the full breadth of the challenge: from what the
data on UK branch closures truly reveals, to why human conversations remain
irreplaceable at life’s most significant financial moments — buying a first
home, planning for retirement, opening a savings account for a child. It
will examine what a genuinely modern branch model looks like beyond physical
locations, how institutions can balance digital convenience with accessible
in-person services, and what it takes to drive that transformation without
unsustainable cost.
This webinar brings together senior voices from across the industry:
Ben Verdin, Head of Product UK Lending at SBS; Julia Brook, Chief Customer
Officer at Marsden Building Society; and Joseph Thompson, Economist at the
Building Societies Association. Together, they will examine what a modern
branch model looks like in practice and what it takes to make it a reality.
Register now on the official event page to secure your place.
