Nationwide Building Society has extended its commitment to keep all of its UK branches open until 2030, two years beyond its original pledge. This includes the full network of 605 existing Nationwide branches and 91 Virgin Money sites, acquired following its £2.9 billion takeover of Virgin Money UK PLC in October 2024.
The update stands in sharp contrast to the trajectory of other major banks, which continue to shut locations across the UK at pace. With more than 6,000 UK bank branches closed since 2015, according to consumer group Which?, Nationwide’s decision marks a significant divergence from an increasingly digital-first approach seen across the financial sector.
Continued Demand for In-Branch Services Supports Strategy
Nationwide’s announcement builds on recent figures indicating strong and even rising usage of its physical branches. According to the building society, branch visits increased by 11% over the past year, countering the narrative that brick-and-mortar banking is fading.
In the six months leading up to September 2025, 33% of current accounts and 22% of savings accounts were opened in branch, representing year-on-year increases of 28% and 31% respectively. This trend held true even among younger customers, with over one in ten new student accounts opened in person during the academic year, according to internal data.
There has also been a 5% rise in ATM use, with non-Nationwide customers increasing their use of in-branch cash machines by 17%. These figures were more pronounced in areas where Nationwide is now the sole bank operating locally. In such communities, new current account openings rose by nearly a third, and cash machine use jumped 25%, with non-member ATM usage surging by 96%.
Nationwide chief executive Dame Debbie Crosbie stated, “Branches are important to our customers, to communities and to the health of our high streets.” She added that keeping branches open is “not just a business decision, it’s a statement of values.”
Community Role and Contrast with Sector-Wide Retreat
As other high street banks scale back operations, Nationwide has become the last remaining provider in dozens of towns. In 2025 alone, 33 additional branches became the only in-person banking facility left in their communities after competitors closed nearby locations.
According to Which?, NatWest and RBS have closed 1,377 branches over the past decade, Lloyds Banking Group 1,252, Barclays 1,230, and HSBC 743. If current closure rates continue, 6,731 total bank branches are expected to have vanished by the end of 2025.
Nationwide’s decision to extend its no-closure pledge comes after a period of internal consolidation. The society had previously reduced its footprint by 152 branches over a decade, representing 20% of its network, before announcing its no-closure policy in 2023.
Its presence now stretches to over 16 million members, with one in three UK citizens holding an account. As a result of the Virgin Money acquisition, Nationwide has reinforced its position as the second-largest provider of mortgages and retail deposits in the UK.
Beyond financial transactions, many of the society’s branches serve broader social functions. Nationwide now hosts dementia clinics, digital skills workshops, and safe spaces for domestic abuse survivors, underscoring a shift towards community-based services rather than purely commercial use.
This widening role has been praised by organisations such as the Federation of Small Businesses, whose chair Martin McTague commented that in-person services “are vital for managing cash flow and business banking needs that digital alternatives cannot replace.”
