As it became known “Kommersant”, VTB may close about a quarter of offices both at the expense of the merging banks in the first place “Revival”, and by optimizing their networks. Now in her subject subsidiaries about 1.5 thousand offices. Market participants and experts talking about the General trend of reducing the number of Bank branches, but warn that such a dramatic reduction may cause a negative reaction from customers.As told sources “” close to VTB, the Bank is planning a large-scale reduction of the network — the number of offices will decrease by about 400 (now VTB has about 1.4 thousand offices, about 1.5 thousand including subsidiaries). One of interlocutors “” has specified that the plans laid in the strategy of VTB in 2022, although not publicly announced.The source “” in VTB group said that the reduction will occur in part through subsidiary banks: “Revival” (about 100 offices), the Bank (over 50 offices), Sarovbiznesbank (40 offices) will be closed “duplicate” offices. First and foremost, according to him, this applies to Bank Vozrozhdenie. In addition, optimized network of VTB due to the closure of part of the offices of the old format after running more efficient new, indicate the sides “b”.Plans network optimization August 5 was confirmed by the Chairman of the management Board of VTB Bank Anatoly Pechatnikov. However, he did not name specific figures and were talking primarily about upgrading the existing offices and opening new ones.In a press-service VTB did not begin to deny the fact of reducing the network and left without comment the extent of the cuts. It only said that the Bank launched a “large-scale modernization of the regional network” in the framework of the strategy approved in the year 2019: “the Network must become more convenient and accessible to the public, as well as the most effective in the new reality — from the point of view of transfer of most of the products to the. The Bank has already started to open new hi-tech offices… all on the horizon two years we plan to open 100 new offices. An important factor is the accession of the other banking networks.” At the same time, VTB has recognized that “some offices will be closed, a specific list will be determined in the course of integration.”VTB is second among Russian banks by size of office network, second only to Sberbank (about 14 thousand offices). In third place now Rosselkhozbank (almost 1.3 thousand units), which after reduction network, VTB may take second place.The largest private Bank Alfa Bank also recently announced a network upgrade, but to reduce the number of offices it is not going. “We are not planning significant reductions in network. Not every question can be easily solved via remote service channels the customer should be able to come and communicate with the Bank personally, says leadtel Department of network management of Alfa-Bank Julia Mikhailova.— During a pandemic, the flow of customers in office has decreased, but now we are seeing a gradual return of customers in the traditional channels.”Analysts ambiguously estimate plans VTB. “Given that we are talking about a Bank with a huge client base, is a noticeable reduction in the retail network can cause the lack of availability of offices for certain categories of citizens who do not want to go to online-Bank,— says chief analyst GK “ALOR” Alexei Antonov.— When the internal communication of the employee with the client the likelihood of sales of additional products has grown significantly, from this point of view the benefits of a personal visit of the customer to the Bank more than a TEXT email or call from the call center”.But, “given the overall economic picture,” business optimization through the reorganization of the branch network is the most common solution in dealing with the crisis, said a member of the General Council of “Business Russia” Alim of Bichenov. He suggests that the catalyst reduction network, VTB and other banks could be a regime of isolation imposed on the background of the pandemic.Ksenia Dementieva
