- 62% of people would like access to a bank on their dream high street
- However, only 44% of people report having a bank in their local community
- Metro Bank opening 11 new stores in north of England in 2024 and 2025
When asked to select the shops and services that would make up their ‘dream’ high street, 62% of respondents chose to include a bank branch according to a Metro Bank survey1.
Bank branches were the most popular choice for the nation’s high streets, followed by cafés (59%), Post Offices (56%) and bakeries (54%). The desire for a local bank branch was more pronounced among the over 65s (75%) but remained popular across all age ranges; over 55s (71%), 45-54 (65%), 35-44 (57%), 25-34 (45%) and 18-24 (50%).
When asked what they did have access to on their high street, banks immediately fell out of the top three to be replaced by cafés (65%), take-aways (62%) and hairdressers/barbers (60%). In fact, every region in Britain had cafés, takeaways and hairdressers in their top three – with the exception of Wales which was the only nation to feature estate agents in its top three. Less than half (44%) reported having access to at least one bank branch.
When asked about the services they would want or expect to be open after 5pm during the week and on the weekends, one in five respondents selected a bank branch. This would remove the need for people to queue during their lunchbreak or abandon their desks to run to the bank in the middle of the day.
Metro Bank has the longest opening hours of any high street bank with 2022 seeing 1.6 million counter transactions and 118,000 accounts opened during weekends and before 9am or after 3pm on weekdays when most banks are usually closed. Metro Bank business customers also each receive their own named Local Business Manager, on hand to support with any queries.
With 76 stores across England and Wales, the bank plans to open 11 more stores across the north of England in 2024 and 2025.
Ian Walters, MD of Distribution at Metro Bank comments:
“As many banks retreat from the high street and trim their opening hours, our research shows that this couldn’t be further from what our local communities want. Banking services should be available to those who need it at a time that suits them whether that’s first thing in the morning, on a Sunday or after work. It’s interesting to see that this desire to have a bank branch nearby remains high across all age groups and locations across the country. This highlights the universal and constant relationship we have with banking throughout our lives from the time we get our first account or salary, to our mortgages, safe deposit boxes and pensions.
“High street banking should also be there to support our nation’s businesses, from the sole trader to the multi-million pound enterprise. Entrepreneurs live and breathe their business and they should expect their bank to be just as passionate.
“The community importance and value placed on a bank branch shines through in the data. As the first new high-street bank in Britain for over 100 years, Metro Bank is committed to staying on the high-street as the UK’s number one community bank and we look forward to bringing the Metro Bank magic to more communities in the north of England.”
What does the country’s dream high-street look like?
|
Region |
Dream |
Vs. Reality |
|
North West |
1. At least one bank branch | 1. Take-aways |
|
|
2. Cafés |
2. Cafés |
|
|
3. Bakery/ Patisserie |
3. Hairdressers/ Barbers |
|
Greater London |
1. At least one bank branch |
1. Cafés |
|
|
2. Cafés |
2. Take-aways |
|
|
3. Bakery/ Patisserie |
3. Hairdressers/ Barbers |
|
|
- Post Office |
|
|
South East |
1. At least one bank branch |
1. Cafés |
|
|
2. Cafés |
2. Hairdressers/ Barbers |
|
|
3. Post Office |
3. Take-aways |
|
West Midlands |
1. At least one bank branch |
1. Take-aways |
|
|
2. Butchers |
2. Cafés |
|
|
3. Cafés |
3. Hairdressers/ Barbers |
|
South West |
1. At least one bank branch |
1. Cafés |
|
|
2. Post Office |
2. Hairdressers/ Barbers |
|
|
3. Cafés |
3. Take-aways |
|
East Midlands |
1. Cafés |
1. Cafés |
|
|
2. At least one bank branch |
2. Hairdressers/ Barbers |
|
|
3. Post Office |
3. Take-aways |
|
Wales |
1. At least one bank branch |
1. Cafés |
|
|
2. Bakery/ Patisserie |
2. Estate Agents |
|
|
3. Greengrocers/ Delicatessen |
3. Take-aways |
|
Scotland |
1. At least one bank branch |
1. Cafés |
|
|
2. Cafés |
2. Take-aways |
|
|
3. Post Office |
3. Hairdressers/ Barbers |
|
North East |
1. At least one bank branch |
1. Take-aways |
|
|
2. Cafés |
2. Cafés |
|
|
3. Butchers |
3. Hairdressers/ Barbers |
|
East of England |
1. At least one bank branch |
1. Cafés |
|
|
2. Cafés |
2. Take-aways |
|
|
3. Butchers | 3. Hairdressers/ Barbers |