Why is my local Nationwide branch now closed on a Tuesday and Thursday?

I’m a Nationwide customer and recently, I went to visit the branch on my local high street.

However, it was a Thursday – and there was a poster stating it is now closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

I know Nationwide has made a big song and dance about keeping branches open, but is this how they’re doing it – by reducing opening hours?

Big banks on the high street also close on odd days in the week now, so I’m not singling Nationwide out – it just feels a bit sneaky. Are loads of other Nationwide branches doing it? And why?

Helen Kirrane of This is Money replies: Nationwide is not only a building society giant but also a banking network giant. 

It has the largest branch network of any high street name, including the big banks, with its 605-strong network of branches – overtaking Lloyds which has 598 branches.

It’s fair to say at a time where bank branches have been vanishing at a rate of knots, Nationwide have not been as bad.

Britain’s high streets have been beset by bank branch closures over the last five to ten years. 

Since January 2019 2,798 branches have shuttered for good, figures from Which? show, with 24 more closures already penciled in for 2025.

Barclays has shut the most branches – closing 829 since January 2019 with 20 more announced by December 2025.

It is followed by Lloyds, which has closed 375 branches and plans to close 48 more in the same time frame. 

Next is TSB which has closed 339 branches and plans to close 36 more by December 2025, according to Which?

Nationwide is one of the banks which has been most vocal about keeping branches open. By comparison It has closed 72 branches since January 2019.

We are more accustomed to seeing Nationwide’s ‘we’re not going anywhere’ posters rather than ‘we’re closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays’ posters in the windows of its branches.

That is because the building society has a branch promise in place which means that everywhere there is a Nationwide branch, it will stay open until at least 2028. 

Nationwide renewed the branch promise for a fourth time in March this year.

You asked whether other Nationwide branches are also closing two days a week and why – so This is Money did some digging.

Of Nationwide’s 605 strong branch network, 458 branches are open five days a week – that’s more than three quarters. While 342 branches remain open on Saturdays.

Your local branch is one of 142 branches which close for a maximum of two days a week, meaning 23 per cent of Nationwide’s branches are closed for two days a week at most.

As for why – Nationwide said these 142 branches close to allow branch staff to support those customers who use telephone or online banking while still maintaining a presence on the high street.

James Blower, founder of Savings Guru replies: I think we are all aware of the decimation of branches on our high street. When I started my career in banking, Barclays, who I worked for, had over 40 branches in Norfolk. Now they have just three.

As you mention, not only have we seen branches close but we have seen a reduction in working hours with branches closed for random days, lunch breaks and training hours making it even harder to get to an open branch. 

While Nationwide are guilty of this too, in fairness to them, I think they are better than their high street rivals – they have 10 branches open in Norfolk, where I live, which is not beaten by any of their high street rivals.

Nationwide has closed less branches than any other high street rival in the past five years. While your experience is unfortunate, Nationwide are arguably the best of the bunch at the moment.

Andrew Hagger founder of MoneyComms replies: The current promise from Nationwide on branch closures states that ‘everywhere we have a branch, we’ll still be there until at least the start of 2028’.

What it hasn’t committed to is keeping existing opening hours for the next three and a half years, so if a Nationwide branch decides to shut for certain times during the week, it’s not breaking its promise.

You could call it sneaky, however in reality the other high street banks are closing branches left, right and centre, claiming lack of footfall and more online take up, so Nationwide is probably seeing similar trends and in more extreme cases has decided to take action.

A spokesman from Nationwide replies: Nationwide continues to value branches and face-to-face service. Everywhere we have a branch today we will remain until at least the start of 2028.

More than three quarters (76 per cent – 458) of our 605-strong network is open five days a week with 342 open on Saturdays. A further 142 branches close for a maximum of two days to enable branch colleagues to support customers by telephone or online.

This means we can operate in the most effective and efficient way while also maintaining a presence on the high street.