Barclays is expanding its physical banking presence in the UK, opening three new branches while extending opening hours across its network by more than 60,000 hours a year. The changes reflect the bank’s effort to combine increasingly popular digital services with face-to-face support for customers making major financial decisions.
Three New Barclays Branches Are on the Way
New branches in Poole and Bishop’s Stortford are due to open later this month, while another location in Beverley is scheduled to welcome customers in November.
According to The Sun, the openings form part of a wider plan to modernize the bank’s branch network, with further locations expected to open before the end of 2026.
The new sites will not simply reproduce a traditional bank branch. They will combine self-service technology for routine transactions with private consultation rooms designed for conversations requiring specialist assistance.
Customers will be able to seek help with financial matters including buying a home, retirement planning and investment decisions.
Opening Hours Are Getting Longer Across the Network
Barclays has also extended opening hours throughout its existing network. The changes amount to more than 60,000 additional hours of in-branch availability each year, giving customers more opportunities to speak to staff in person.
The expansion comes as the way people use bank branches continues to change. Customers increasingly handle everyday transactions through mobile and online services, while branches retain a role when financial needs become more complicated.
Vim Maru, chief executive of Barclays UK, said the new branches show the bank’s “commitment to investing in communities across the UK and ensuring customers can reach our people when it matters most”.
He added: “While customers increasingly choose digital banking for everyday transactions, we know that some of life’s most important financial decisions, whether buying a home, planning for retirement or investing for the future, benefit from a personal conversation with one of our colleagues.”
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Barclays Is Combining Digital Tools With Face-to-Face Advice
The branch changes are part of a broader effort to make physical and digital banking work alongside each other rather than treating them as separate services.
Barclays is continuing to introduce Premier Banking Suites and smart ATMs across its branches. At the new locations, self-service facilities will handle simpler banking needs while staff and consultation spaces focus on situations where customers want individual guidance.
Maru said the new branches “have been designed around those moments, providing customers with access to specialist support, alongside the convenience of self-service and digital banking”.
He continued: “Our ambition is to give customers the best of both worlds: leading digital services for day-to-day banking and the expertise of our colleagues for more complex needs.
“By bringing these together, we’re creating a banking experience that offers greater choice, flexibility and confidence, however our customers choose to bank.”
The immediate expansion will bring new Barclays branches to Poole, Bishop’s Stortford and Beverley, with additional openings expected before the end of 2026.
