#bankanno2017

As expected, bank closures caused strong reactions due to their impact on workplaces, the local environment and customers. Many predict a customer shift away from DNB.

If we go back 12 years, branch density was almost five times what it is today. But times have changed and so have our customers, according to a new report from DNB. Norwegians have abandoned queues at counters at bank offices and chosen digital banks.

– There has been a rapid and drastic decline in the use of our manual services over time. At the same time the use of digital services is skyrocketing. For us, this was clear: We had to do something operationally to make everyday banking simpler and meet customers where they are, said Trond Bentestuen, private markets manager at DNB.

Digital Norwegian

In 2010, the bank had 1 million visits via mobile phone, in 2016 the figure increased to 200 million. Last year, 95 percent of people saved digitally, 24 percent of loan applications were made digitally, and more and more people were contacted for advice via chat or email. Digital mutual fund purchases have increased from 18 percent in 2013 to 85 percent in 2016.

-Norwegian people are world leaders in digital usage and this influences the way we bank. Nowadays, we don’t just check balances, we manage finances digitally. Our goal is to create good technology solutions that make this easier. An example is Vipps, which was a huge success precisely because it was so simple and relevant, says Bentestuen.