Barclays Revives Banking: Branches & Managers

0:00On April 4th, Barkley's is flipping the script on High Street Banking, planning to open fresh branches and revive the classic bank manager role. Their UK chief, Vim Maru, wants to grow the bank's physical footprint, so folks aren't trapped in endless chatbot loops when they need real help. Since joining last year and taking the reins in 2024, Maru made halting branch closures one of his first moves. The bank slashed over 800 locations since 2018, leaving just 206 open across the UK. This bucks the trend as digital players like Revolut and Monzo, grab market share, and rivals like Lloyd's gear up to Shutter 136. Branches through 2026, blaming the shift to mobile apps. Maru stresses customers still crave face-to-face chats, and the bank's investing billions from 2024 onward, blending AI to speed up. Tasts, so staff can focus on personal service. They've already boosted branch hours by over 33,000 annually. In a world hooked on apps, Barclay's best blending top digital tools with boots on the ground support

1:03will set them apart for the long haul.