A HIGH street bank branch is to close its doors for good after more than 40 years as customer behaviours change “significantly”.
Barclays in Ringwood High Street will shut on Thursday, June 8, leaving residents without a dedicated branch – with the nearest located in Bournemouth.
This comes after Barclays announced numerous other bank closures in January, which Ringwood was not included at the time.
The company says it will still retain a banking presence in Ringwood via its Barclays Local service which offers pop-up sites.
A Barclays spokesperson said: “Our customers’ behaviour has changed significantly in recent years, with the majority now choosing online banking. This is reflected at Ringwood branch, and as we adapt, we are finding new ways to support our customers by maintaining our community presence with options for customers who still require in-person support.
“In Ringwood we plan to open a Barclays Local – a pop-up cashless banking site where customers can meet a colleague face-to-face for banking support, as they would in a branch and without the need to travel.
“We are currently working with the local community to identify a suitable location and will announce details once confirmed.”
No staff redundancies will be made as a result of the closure, Barclays added.
Fewer than 10 per cent of Barclays transactions take place within a bank, and Ringwood’s branch recorded 22 regular customers who use the branch exclusively for their banking.
Seventeen per cent of Ringwood customers are also said to have used nearby branches in the last 12 months.
Residents were informed of the eventual closure by letter, and took to social media expressing disappointment at the news. One woman said: “Awful that they are closing this down. Every time I go in there it’s packed solid as it’s the only branch around. You can’t do everything online.”
Another person, however, said: “There is clearly not enough footfall to support. Online banking caters for most things. I can’t remember the last time I needed to set foot in a bank.”
This comes soon after Nationwide confirmed it would reduce its branch opening hours in Ringwood, leaving just three days a week available for in-person services.
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