Santander signs up 88 ex-Halifax Agencies

Santander has signed up 88 of the ex-Halifax Agencies - which were served notice by Lloyds Banking Group earlier this year, as part of its response to EU state aid requirements.    These 88 Agencies have all been rebranded and are now offering Santander products to the local communities.

The 88 Agencies fit well into Santander's Branch and Agency network for reasons of location, customer base and demographics.   Santander is committed to branch and Agency banking - and with the acquisition of Bradford & Bingley and Alliance & Leicester in the autumn of 2008, and the addition of the ex-Halifax Agencies announced today; now has 1400 branches in the UK.   Of these, 250 are Agents, and Santander has its own dedicated Agency Division which is tasked with looking after and growing the Agency network. 

Brain Holland, Head of Retail Development at Santander UK plc - said: "Santander is committed to developing its agency network further.  Agencies are often the lifeblood of rural communities where traditional full banks branches are less common.   They not only provide a service to the local community, and increase competition amongst banking provider from which the community can choose, but also provide local businesspeople with a great opportunity to develop a business.

"Santander is delighted that 88 of the Agents let go by Halifax have joined Santander, bolstering its branch network, whilst at the same time maintaining banking services in a number of local communities."  

Bank and Building Society agencies have been a traditional feature of the UK banking sector, often offering local savings and banking facilities within remote communities and the suburbs of major towns and cities.  Over many years this banking model has supported local towns and villages with important access to banking and savings products and often been the only such service provider in that location.