Co-operative Bank is slashing opening hours at 40 branches from January 2026. Some branches will see their opening times cut by up to three hours per week, while 18 locations will close for one full day during the working week.
The Brighton branch, which currently operates from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, will have its weekday hours reduced to 9.30am to 2.30pm. Meanwhile, the Caerphilly branch will cut its hours from 9am-4pm to 10am-2pm and will no longer open on Wednesdays.
Digital shift drives changes
The bank, which serves 2.5 million customers, said the changes reflect reduced footfall in physical branches. "Like many other high street banks, we've seen a reduction in customers visiting our branches," the bank explained.
More customers are choosing mobile, online or telephone banking instead of visiting physical locations. Branch teams will continue supporting customers through these digital channels during reduced hours.
Service continuity measures
The bank has ensured that when one branch closes on a weekday, the nearest alternative branch remains open for customers. According to Birminghammail, 25 impacted sites will also close on Saturdays as part of the changes.
Branch impact assessments have been published on the bank's website explaining the specific changes at each location. The bank's Go Get Paid service recently won the 2025 Celent Model Bank Award for Open Banking Innovation.
Affected locations
The 40 branches facing reduced hours span major cities including Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow and Cardiff. Most will operate shorter weekday hours, typically from 9.30am to 2.30pm or 10am to 2pm.
Several locations including Birmingham, Caerphilly, Cardiff and Durham will close entirely on one weekday per week. Customers can use the bank's online branch finder tool to locate their nearest alternative branch.
Sources used: "mirror", "bristolpost.co.uk", "Birminghammail", "gbnews.com" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
