Banks close in Ruppertshofen: The end of the local branches!

Banks close in Ruppertshofen: The end of the local branches!

The VR-Bank Schwäbischer Wald has announced a drastic step: As of December 31, the branches in Allmersbach in the valley, Frickenhofen, Pfahlbronn, Ruppertshofen and Vordsteinenberg will be closed! In a explosive press release, it was announced that customer behavior has changed fundamentally in recent years. Corona pandemic has promoted digitization in banking rapidly. Online and mobile banking are now the standard, while the need for traditional, personal service drops dramatically.

"Personal advice for demanding bank products will remain at the usual high level," emphasizes CEO Thomas Bareiß. But the numbers speak a different language: Currently, less than 20 percent of customers do their banking transactions predominantly in the local bench, and this trend continues to point down! The bank is forced to concentrate on well -frequented locations and at the same time to cover the investment needs in the remaining branches.

Digitization in forward gear

Karl-Thomas Starke, another board of directors of the bank, assures that the expansion of digital and telephone banking is strongly driven. In addition, the industry is struggling with an increasing lack of personnel, which increases the need for concentration on central locations. "Advice with an appointment is possible regardless of our service times from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.," explains Bareiß. Customers can even get advice at home on request or have the conversation in a town hall on site. The times change and the VR bank Swabian forest adapts!