Barclays to open new high street branches – 800 banks closed down | Personal Finance | Finance

There’s nothing more infuriating than finding yourself trapped in a loop with a chatbot while trying to resolve your online banking queries.

That’s why bosses at Barclays have announced plans to reopen more high-street branches, giving customers that all-important “in person” experience and restoring traditional banking services. It represents a dramatic U-turn for the bank, which shut 800 stores across the UK, as chief executive Vim Maru put a pause on further branch closures.

In a bid to revive the era of bank managers, Mr Maru, who joined Barclays in 2023, is bringing back branches after countless towns were left without any in-person banking facilities. The move comes as digital banks such as Revolut and Monzo emerge as formidable competitors in the UK’s current account market.

Over the past decade, thousands of high-street bank branches have shut their doors across the country, including those belonging to Barclays, leaving just 206 still operating throughout the UK.

Maru confirmed he is planning to grow the number of physical branches, telling The Times that many customers “still value physical presence.”

Speaking to the newspaper, he said: “What we’re trying to do is something that allows us to differentiate in front of our customers. Of course we’re going to be great in digital – but we’re going to be there for you when you need some help and support. You’re not going to be stuck in some chatbot trying to get out of the loop and trying to speak to someone.” This also means he intends to restore the role of bank managers, moving away from a heavy dependence on digital services. “The branch manager or bank manager is back. Most customers come in and they want to talk to the bank manager from time to time.”

In a statement, Mr Maru said: “Even in a digital world, many customers still value physical presence and the ability to talk to our colleagues when they need support. In response to changes to where people work, live and shop over the last few years, we have relocated some of our branches and extended branch opening hours, adding 33,500 hours of in-branch availability per year.

“We are now looking to enhance and invest in our branch footprint alongside our contact centres and app as we continue to meet the changing preferences of our customers.”

It follows banking giant Lloyds closing 71 branches across the UK at the start of the year. The shutdowns form part of a broader withdrawal from Britain’s high streets, with consumer group Which? revealing 218 bank branches are set to shut across Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland in 2025 alone, partly due to growing numbers of customers migrating to online banking.

Banks have attributed the wave of closures to shifting customer behaviour, with millions now opting to manage their finances online rather than visiting branches in person.

A spokesperson for Lloyds Banking Group said more than 21 million customers now rely on mobile and online banking, arguing that fewer people are making use of physical branches.