HSBC to shut six more branches next week - with another 108 closures to follow
HSBC will close 114 branches in total in 2023
PA
Six high street branches of HSBC are to close their doors for good next week, with over a hundred more to shut this year.
The bank said it had made the decision because of a drop in the number of in-person customers at the branches.
It said that instead it was looking to help customers move to banking digitally.
On April 18, HSBC will close: Market Place, Blandford Forum; Devonshire Road, Bexhill-On-Sea; Market Hill, St Ives; Fore Street, St Austell; Frogmore Street, Abergavenny; and Church Street, Cromer.
HSBC said that it was looking to help customers move to banking digitally
PA
The bank said that over the past five years, HSBC branches had seen a 65 per cent fall in regular customers.
Overall football in the closing branches had reduced by at least 50 per cent.
Jackie Uhi, managing director of UK distribution at HSBC, said: "People are changing the way they bank and footfall in many branches is at an all-time low, with no signs of it returning.
"Banking remotely is becoming the norm for the vast majority of us.
HSBC said 'Banking remotely is becoming the norm for the vast majority' of Britons
PA
"Not only can we do it anywhere at any time of day or night, many more things can be done at the customers’ convenience and don’t rely on a branch visit.
"The decision to close a branch is never easy or taken lightly, especially if we are the last branch in an area.
"We’ve invested heavily in our ‘post closure’ strategy, including providing free tablet devices to selected branch customers who do not already have a device to bank digitally, alongside one-to-one coaching to help them migrate to digital banking."
Next week's closures will be followed by the shutting of another 108 branches in 2023.
HSBC said that it will still have a network of 327 branches across the country after the current round of closures.
Age UK has criticised the decision by the bank, warning it will be "really difficult" for older people.
Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: "It's making life for older people who don't want to or can't bank online really difficult.
"Closing a branch saves a bank money, but it's not what many older people want or need, having been quite happy with banking face to face throughout their lives."