HSBC has announced plans to shut 82 UK branches this year including two in Greater Manchester after a shift towards telephone and internet banking.
The Company said that even before counting the impact of the pandemic, the number of customers using branches has fallen by a third in the last five years.
81 of the branches which are being closed down are within one mile of a Post Office branch, while two-thirds are within five miles of another HSBC branch and nine in 10 are within 10 miles of a branch.
In Greater Manchester, the branch in Bramhall will close in August while the branch in Chorlton will close in September
Jackie Uhi, HSBC UK head of network, said: ‘The Covid-19 pandemic has emphasised the need for the changes that we are making.
‘It hasn’t pushed us in a different direction but reinforces the things that we were focusing on before and has crystalised our thinking. This is a strategic direction that we need to take to have a branch network fit for the future.
‘Making sure we have a sustainable branch network is essential to us, and decisions to close branches are not taken lightly.
‘By ensuring we have the most suitable branch format in each specific local market that we serve, we will ensure that we are in good shape to meet the challenges ahead.’
