Lloyds to trim opening hours at 757 branches from Sept 29

Lloyds Banking Group will shorten opening hours at all 757 of its high street branches from September 29, reducing the time customers can access in-branch services across Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland outlets. Weekday openings will move from 9:00am to 9:30am, with an even later 10:00am start on Wednesdays to accommodate staff training. Closing times, which previously varied between 4:30pm and 5:00pm by location, will be standardised to between 3:30pm and 4:30pm. Saturday hours will also change, opening at 9:30am instead of 9:00am and closing by either 1:00pm or 3:00pm.

The adjustments will reduce daily in-person access by as much as 90 minutes at some branches, the group said, and form part of a wider shift in the banking sector toward digital services. A Lloyds Banking Group spokesperson said, "We're changing our branch opening hours to make it simpler and more consistent for our customers." The group added that it offers alternatives such as mobile and online banking, access to any Lloyds, Halifax or Bank of Scotland branch, services at Post Office branches and local banking hubs, and cash deposit options at PayPoint locations.

The move comes amid a broader pattern of...