Local residents in a London borough have fumed at the closure of Barclays Bank, which has been replaced with a kebab shop. In April this year, the major banking branch closed its doors for good on Walworth road in South London, leaving locals “annoyed”. In its place, a kebab store has opened on the high street, with the dining chain welcoming customers from the end of October.
Since the opening of the fast-food restaurant, reactions have been mixed among nearby residents. Commenting on social media, one person said: “Barclays didn’t close for this.” Another TikTok user highlighted that there was already one “right in the borough”, with others calling the change “annoying”. Others chimed in and said it was unnecessary as there was already a Popeyes on Walworth Road.
The Barclays branch closure was not unexpected, as a staggering number have permanently shut down over the past few years. Since February 2022, 413 branches have closed. Similarly, 460 Lloyds bank branches shut down too within the same period of time.
In total, around 2,209 bank branches have closed across the UK since February 2022. This is due to the increased number of people moving to online banking, resulting in a decreased demand for in-person banking.
The Walworth Society said it was “shocked” at the Barclays news, adding that it was an “incredibly well-used bank”.
However, the major bank said the closures were based on their own data which found 96% of customers who used the branch were also online banking customers. Only 15% of customers used the branch regularly to bank.
Justifying the South London closure, a Barclay’s report said: “Back when we opened this branch, visiting us in person was one of the only ways to do your banking.
“Now, as there are lots of ways to manage your money without even leaving your home, we’re seeing many customers choosing to bank using our app, and Online or Telephone Banking. This has had a big impact on the number of customers coming in to see us.”
