Santander’s branch in Peterhead is set to close after the bank announced sweeping changes to its network.
A full list of closures was released by Santander this morning, which confirmed the bank’s final operating day of June 16.
It comes after the company announced that 95 branches across the UK will shut their doors, with jobs at shuttered stores at risk.
Areas affected by the closures, such as the Blue Toon, will instead be served by a “community banker,” to operate in facilities such as local libraries.
The move comes after “a rapid shift to online banking.”
Santander says that there has been a 63 percent increase in digital transactions since 2019, while financial transactions completed in branches reduced by 61 percent in the same period.
Santander said that closing any branch is a “difficult decision” for the company.
Closure of Peterhead Santander comes after shift to online banking
A spokesperson for Santander UK, said: “As customer behaviour changes, we are ensuring that our branches remain fit for the future.
“Our new combination of full-service branches, alongside Work Cafés, counter-free branches and reduced hours branches, aims to provide the right balance between digital banking and face-to-face money management and guidance.
“As a business, we must move with customers and balance our investment across all the places where we interact with customers, to deliver the very best for them now and in the future.
“Closing a branch is always a very difficult decision and we spend a great deal of time assessing where and when we do this and how to minimise the impact it may have on our customers.”
The closures will leave Santander with 349 branches, down from 444.
As part of the changes, Santander will reduce hours at 36 other branches across the country and remove the front counters out of 18 others.
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