Choose your Sector ▾ United Kingdom Home News & Updates Is there an appetite to increase branch numbers? 18th Jan 2021 #Installation EMAIL FACEBOOK TWITTER LINKEDIN Is there an appetite to increase branch numbers? The media often comes across as obsessed with publishing the number of branches vanishing from communities as a symptom of a declining high street and growing online environment. Afterall, that is newsworthy, right? We rarely hear of investigations of a cure to these symptoms, a need to repair or indeed support those seeking to better connect communities. It is Interesting to note therefore that stories like these mask unrepresented data which support requests for banks to open more conveniently located branches. Just as the pandemic has reshaped and reprioritised how people work and communicate; it has also shone a light on the need for community services. The Association of Convenience Stores’ 2020 report* repeated their findings from the previous year where it identified bank branches as the topmost wanted service locally, with specialist food and non-food outlets (eg, hardware) as second and third, respectively. This report also shares data around those businesses which are deemed to be making the most positive impact, with the Post Office coming second only to the convenience shop, pharmacies and the local pub third and fourth respectively and banks coming in fifth in the communities where they are still based. Coffee shops/Cafés come sixth in the top 16 of services surveyed. “It may be too simplistic just to suggest banks just open new branches. That said, there is a discussion to be had around how they could do it. Just as Post Offices are doing fantastic work at embedding themselves within existing businesses, expanding their service offering and connecting with local communities in new ways, perhaps a creative approach to local banking is one that needs louder engagement”. Guy Thorne, UK Sales Director, Cennox The retail landscape is certainly changing due to a myriad of challenges. High Streets up and down the land are witnessing the traditional leviathans of the retail sectors choke, stumble and slip under, some never to be seen again. In some cities their loss is tangible. For other communities, smaller independent or cooperative style ventures are breathing creative and fresh new experiences into these places of regular commerce – mixing original local produce on street, as well as online. Guy Thorne continued.. ”The future of community services may not resemble those of a rose-tinted bygone age. In fact, it may need to be very different to survive and thrive, as well as reflect the nuances and uniqueness of each community – this is a good thing. New working partnerships between businesses, local facilities and a reinvention of good old customer service is opening new doors for a creative new approach to business”. “So, there is an appetite for more branches to be opened in local communities? The data suggests people are asking for it. How that can be delivered in a stable working format – well, that is the exciting creative challenge that has already started. It is one where Cennox already supports the sector visualise, implement and realise”. * https://www.acs.org.uk/ PREVIOUS PayPoint and Cennox announce an extension to their Service Partnership to support their growth in the convenience sector Rise of Card Skimming & How to Keep Protected NEXT Latest News & Updates Cennox Acquires Leading Safe Manufacturing and Service Company, FireKing Safety and Security ATLANTA, GA – December 1, 2021 – Cennox (the “Company”), a portfolio company of York Capital Management’s private equity group (“York Private Equity”),... 1st Dec 2021 Should supermarkets be fully automated with self-checkout services? Should supermarkets be fully automated with self-checkout services? That is the debate that has been trending in recent weeks. Technology and human contact can go... 3rd Aug 2021 Cennox launches the ‘next generation’ solution against cash trapping Cennox proudly presents the next evolution Cash Shutter Guard, the new solution designed to prevent the introduction of fraudulent devices in to or on... 9th Jul 2021 To discuss your requirements call 0044 (0)1276 607 200 Cennox Financial Services Retail Solutions Hygiene Products & Services Other Our Solutions Self-Service Terminals ATM Parts Supply Bank Field Services Security Solutions Branch Transformation Signage & Branding Software & Services Our Company Cennox Overview Corporate Values Senior Leadership Join Our Team News Insights Contact © 2015-2021 Cennox Plc | All Rights Reserved. Downloads Page Modern Slavery Policy Privacy & Policy Sitemap Web design Surrey