Valencia | Bank branches are usually not a place for great customer experiences. This is different with the Spanish Caixa Bank, which has already rolled out all-in-one experience branches in ten cities. invidis inspected the Valencia branch to check whether and how the concept works five years after its inception.
The use of bank branches has declined rapidly with the rise of online banking. According to the ECB, the number of bank branches in the Euro region has nearly halved from 186,000 in 2008 to 106,000 in 2023. The remaining branches must offer more than just transaction zones with ATMs. The limited personal service that remains should be provided in an attractive setting. Both customers and non-customers should experience the retail banking brand in the physical world, not just digitally.
Caixa Bank developed an experience banking concept five years ago which aimed at bringing experience back to retail banking. The Spanish Caixa Group was formed in 2020 from the merger of Caxia Bank and the Bankia Group and operates over 4,000 branches and 11,000 ATMs. Additionally, Caixa operates a fleet of mobile banks for remote locations in Spain. What sets the bank apart are the ten all-in-one flagship branches now established nationwide.
The first all-in-one bank opened in Valencia five years ago, the most exciting flagship branch is in Madrid, and the newest in Las Palmas on Gran Canaria. All flagships have large foyers with ceiling-high LEDs and promotion areas for partners. In Valencia, Volvo is currently using the experience branch as a showroom while Caixa customers use ATMs and wait for banking appointments in the spacious foyer. The room-filling LEDs transform the branches into experience spaces that adapt dynamically to events and convey movement and life.
We were pleasantly surprised by the technical condition of the huge LED surfaces, which, even five years after being put into operation, still produce a flawless and well-coordinated image. No defective LED tiles or color deviations. The LED installations are installed and maintained by the Spanish digital signage integrator Instronic from Barcelona.
If you’re visiting ISE, the Caixa All-in-One Flagship Diagonal is just a 10 minute taxi ride from the Fira Gran Via showground.
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