Marks and Spencer to close ALL current accounts and 29 bank branches this year
MARKS & Spencer plans to close ALL current accounts and its 29 bank branches this year.
The closures, which will take effect this summer, are a result of a surge in online banking.
The bank branches are located within M&S stores, but the travel money bureaux branches, which are located in over 100 stores, are unaffected.
M&S told The Sun it aims to redeploy branch workers where possible, but it couldn't confirm how many are at risk of redundancy due to an ongoing consultation.
M&S' current account has already closed to new customers, but it'll be available to existing customers until August 2021.
The bank said it'll start contacting those customers and others who use the bank branches from today to explain their options.
Where are M&S Bank's branches located?
M&S Bank plans to shut its 29 bank branches from this summer.
- Aberdeen - St Nicholas Street
- Birmingham - High Street
- Bristol - Cribbs Causeway
- Bromley - High Street
- Cardiff - Culverhouse Cross
- Dartford - Bluewater
- Edinburgh - The Gyle
- Ellesmere Port - Cheshire Oaks
- Exeter - High Street
- Gateshead - Metro
- Glasgow - Argyle Street
- Glasgow - Braehead
- Leeds - Briggate
- Lisburn - Sprucefield
- London W12 - Westfield White City
- London - Marble Arch
- Manchester - Market Street
- Milton Keynes - Saxon Gate East
- Norwich - Rampant Horse Street
- Oxford - Queen Street
- Pudsey - Stanningley
- Sandhurst - Camberley
- Sheffield - Meadowhall
- Shoreham - Holmbush Centre
- Southampton - Hedge End
- St Albans - London Colney
- Tipton - Merryhill
- Warrington - Gemini
- Wilmslow - Handforth
The M&S bank branches will close on July 2, with all services moving to online, mobile and telephone channels.
Following the changes, the bank will focus on credit cards and rewards with plans to merge further with its Sparks Card.
It also said it'll continue to offer its existing range of general insurance, savings and loan products.
M&S Bank has over three million customers in total, but told The Sun "a very small proportion" are current account customers.
Paul Spencer, M&S Bank's chief executive, said: "We have developed the next phase of our transformation programme to enhance the M&S shopping experience.
"It does regrettably mean we will move away from branch-based servicing and the 29-in-store bank branches and associated current account will close this summer.
"We’re now firmly focused on supporting both our customers and colleagues through this change, and the delivery of our transformation plans, which will create new and rewarding payment solutions for M&S shoppers, both in-store and online."
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The closures come after HSBC announced in January that it's shutting 82 branches this year.
In September, TSB announced plans to close 164 branches, with the loss of more than 900 jobs.
Meanwhile, Halifax and Bank of Scotland closed 56 branches last year too.