Virgin Money has announced it will be closing 39 of its bank branches across the UK and you can check the list to see if your local one is shutting down.
The company says it regularly reviews the way customers use its stores and its online, mobile and telephone channels so it can adapt its services to meet the changing demands of its customers.
It says the number of customers using bank branches for day-to-day transactions has been decreasing for a number of years.
The stores which are closing have seen an average reduction in customer transactions of 43% since March 2020 and 96% of customers in these stores are transacting less than once a month on average.
Virgin Money to close 39 bank branches across the UK
When it comes to closing a store, a number of factors are considered including footfall, transaction volumes and the number of potentially vulnerable customers in the area.
Each store was assessed on an individual basis with careful consideration of the impact on the local area as well as the needs of vulnerable customers and the accessibility of alternative services such as free-to-use ATMs and Post Offices.
All stores that are closing are less than half a mile from the nearest Post Office, Virgin Money says.
Customers can use the Post Office to carry out day‐to-day transactions, including cash deposits and withdrawals, cheque deposits and balance enquiries as well as coin exchange.
Sarah Wilkinson, chief operating officer at Virgin Money, said: “The decision to close a store is never taken lightly. But as our customers continue to change the way they want to bank with us, by conducting fewer transactions in-store and adopting the convenience of digital banking, we must respond to that evolving demand.
“Our focus is on supporting our customers and colleagues. We have considered the number of vulnerable customers using each store very carefully throughout the review process as a key factor in our decision-making, and will proactively provide enhanced, bespoke care to ensure any vulnerable customers affected are supported through the changes.
“For our colleagues, we will pursue all options to retain as many as possible within alternative roles, and have had great success previously with store colleagues moving to other customer operations roles, as their skills are highly transferable.”
Virgin Money has said it will work with customers to support a smooth transition, particularly where vulnerable customers are concerned.
For each of the affected stores, written notification will be sent to customers and posters will be displayed at least 12 weeks before they close.
The posters will provide details on the alternative ways customers can continue to manage their accounts, including the nearest alternative stores, ATMs and Post Office counters.
Virgin Money says it will support affected colleagues with finding alternative roles wherever possible either within other stores or elsewhere in the Group, particularly with the increased opportunities provided by remote and flexible working options.
However, some colleagues will be at risk of redundancy.
Full list of Virgin Money bank branches closing
- Belfast
- Bournemouth
- Brighton
- Bristol
- Bromley
- Cambridge
- Cardiff
- Chelmsford
- Cheltenham
- Chester
- Croydon
- Derby
- Durham
- Ellon
- Enfield
- Exeter
- Fort William
- Golders Green
- Gosforth Centre
- Guildford
- Harrow
- Hexham
- Irvine
- Kendal
- Kensington
- Kingston
- Liverpool
- Lochgilphead
- London Haymarket
- Milton Keynes
- Newton Stewart
- Norwich
- Oxford
- Reading
- Southampton
- St Albans
- Swindon
- Turriff
- Wolverhampton
Virgin Money has reviewed the way its customers use its services and decided to close 39 of its branches.
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