
Editor’s Note: This is the second of three excerpts from BankBeat Publisher and President Tom Bengtson’s Analysis column in our May magazine. The first excerpt ran May 22. The third part will be posted online May 28.
Industry strategists have been debating the role of the bank branch for decades. Bancography, a Birmingham, Ala., industry consulting firm, recently issued an extensive look at the banking industry, with a focus on the state of branching. While we hear about the big banks closing branches, the reality is branches are holding up pretty well.