In recent years, commercial banks have continued to promote digital and intelligent transformation and development, and while increasing investment in online channels, the "slimming" plan of offline business outlets has become the general trend.
According to the 2023 annual reports of the six major state-owned banks and seven listed joint-stock banks (China CITIC Bank, China Everbright Bank, China Merchants Bank, Minsheng Bank, Ping An Bank, Industrial Bank, and Zheshang Bank), compared with the same period last year, the number of business outlets of 13 listed banks decreased by more than 240, of which the Postal Savings Bank decreased the most, reaching 169.
It is worth mentioning that a number of banks mentioned the key direction of business outlets last year, increasing investment in county outlets, and increasing investment in related smart equipment.
Last year, the number of bank branches declined,
The number of postal savings banks decreased by 169
Judging from the business outlets of the above-mentioned 13 listed banks, last year, compared with joint-stock banks, the number of outlets of large state-owned banks was far ahead, with a total of 105193. However, judging from the increase and decrease, the degree of reduction in the business outlets of the large state-owned banks far exceeded that of the above-mentioned joint-stock banks, including the Postal Savings Bank, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, the Construction Bank, the Bank of China, and the Bank of Communications, and the five major banks have all shrunk, while among the above-mentioned joint-stock banks, only the number of outlets of the Minsheng Bank has declined.
In terms of large state-owned banks, the Postal Savings Bank had a total of 39,364 business outlets last year, ranking first among the above-mentioned banks, including 7,685 self-operated outlets and 31,679 agency outlets. Compared with the same period last year, the number of business outlets of the bank decreased by 169.
Last year, ABC had a total of 22,843 branches in China, including the headquarters of the head office, the business department of the head office, 4 franchised institutions of the head office, 4 research institutes, 37 first-level branches, 409 second-level branches, 3,316 first-level sub-branches, 19,025 grass-roots business institutions and 46 other institutions.
ICBC had 15,495 business outlets last year; CCB had 14,289 business institutions; Bank of China had 10,299 commercial banking institutions (including head office, first-level branches, directly subordinate branches, second-level branches and grassroots branches) in Chinese mainland; and 2,903 business outlets of Bank of Communications.
In terms of joint-stock banks, the number of branches of most banks has increased, among which the number of branches of Zheshang Bank has increased the most, and the bank's annual report shows that it has set up 342 branches in 22 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government) and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
In addition, the number of branches of Industrial Bank, China Merchants Bank and China CITIC Bank increased by more than 20, to 27, 25 and 23 respectively.
In its annual report, IB said that the company continued to optimize the layout of its outlets and enhance the availability and convenience of finance. Among them, there were 1,084 traditional sub-branches, an increase of 21 over the previous year, and 836 community sub-branches, an increase of 6 over the previous year.
China Merchants Bank said that the company will "total control, stock optimization" as the strategic policy of domestic branch layout, and the net increase of business outlets during the reporting period is 25. At the same time, more than 70 existing business outlets were relocated and optimized, further stimulating the operational vitality of existing outlets, expanding the service coverage of outlets, and improving financial service capabilities.
Continue to optimize the layout of offline channels,
Network resources are skewed towards county areas
For example, ICBC introduced in the annual report that the bank will complete the optimization and adjustment of 670 outlets in 2023, invest 52 new outlets in key areas of cities with relatively insufficient service supply, and invest 57 outlets in county areas, covering 15 blank counties, increasing the county coverage rate of outlets to 86.9%, and steadily improving the matching degree between branch resources and regional social and economic resources.
The Agricultural Bank of China pointed out that the bank promoted the network resources to further tilt towards the county area, and the proportion of county outlets increased by 0.3 percentage points compared with the end of the previous year. We continued to carry out the activity of "sending financial services to the countryside", and carried out more than 170,000 mobile services throughout the year.
Bank of China said that the bank continued to optimize the layout of offline channels and promote the transformation and upgrading of branches. We will continue to deepen the differentiated construction management system of outlets, build characteristic outlets such as science and technology finance, green finance, inclusive finance, and pension finance according to local conditions, refine the products and services, business models, and allocation of software and hardware resources of characteristic outlets, stimulate the vitality of outlets with characteristic businesses, and improve the ability level of the "five major articles" of offline channel financial services.
CCB said that it will continue to optimize the layout and construction of outlets, improve the operational efficiency of outlets, and focus on ensuring the investment of resources for channel construction in regions and counties such as Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Intensify the withdrawal and relocation of inefficient and dense outlets in urban areas, and expand the coverage of new urban planning areas and key county outlets. In 2023, 264 business outlets will be relocated and 28 new business outlets will be established, including 21 new county-level agency outlets.
The Postal Savings Bank said that in 2023, the bank will open 134 new business outlets, of which 82.84% will be in counties and below, 19 new business outlets will be set up in key counties for national rural revitalization and Xinjiang and Tibet managed with reference to key assistance counties, and 19 new urban outlets will be set up to support the construction of key areas in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
In terms of joint-stock banks, for example, China Merchants Bank pointed out that there are 128 business outlets in rural and county areas, and 134 community and small and micro branches. At the same time, more than 70 existing business outlets were relocated and optimized, further stimulating the operational vitality of existing outlets, expanding the service coverage of outlets, and improving financial service capabilities.
A number of banks have promoted the renovation of branch facilities for the elderly.
The investment in smart devices continues to be optimized
In terms of the construction of outlets for the elderly, ICBC pointed out in the annual report that it will promote the transformation of branch facilities for the elderly around the needs of the elderly, build a "ICBC post station + pension" outlet service scenario, and promote the convergence and complementarity of online and offline service channels.
ABC pointed out that it focused on the pain points of the elderly customer experience, optimized the services for the elderly in its outlets, equipped it with wheelchairs, seats for the elderly and other service facilities as needed, and completed the transformation of more than 100,000 self-service equipment in more than 22,000 outlets. Optimize and upgrade the large-character version of Zhangyin to improve the experience of elderly customers. Actively extend the service tentacles, respond to customer demands, and provide more than 100,000 door-to-door services for elderly customers with reduced mobility in 2023.
In view of the trading habits and channel preferences of the silver-haired customers, the Bank of China has actively promoted the upgrading and transformation of its outlets for the elderly, and built demonstration outlets for pension services.
In terms of digital construction, ICBC deepened digital empowerment, created a new situation in operation services, accelerated the reform of branch operations, comprehensively promoted the construction of customer journey services, and promoted online appointment and in-store identification and guidance services throughout the bank.
The Bank has increased its investment in smart devices at the county level to achieve full coverage of county-level business establishments with portable smart counters, expand the scope of financial services, improve the convenience and availability of financial services, and continue to expand the "finance + government affairs" service scenarios of smart counters to better serve the people's livelihood.
According to the Bank of Communications, the bank's "cloud on the bank" is efficiently linked with physical outlets, the application of artificial intelligence in customer service, risk prevention and control and other scenarios has been deepened, and the level of business online, scenario-based and intelligent has been significantly improved.