In line with its focus on the retail end of the market and its quest to deliver quality banking services to the door steps of its customers, Sterling Bank has opened 10 new branches nationwide.
The bank has also embarked on the remodeling of about 40 of its branches nationwide to reflect its retail positioning.
The new branches are located in Festac town, Owode Onirin, a retail market that deals with motor spare parts along Ikorodu road, Itire, and Awoyaya, all in Lagos. Others are the NNPC depot in Mosimi in Ogun State, Eziukwu in Abia, Birin-Kebbi in Kebbi, Rumuola and Onne in Port Harcourt and Bank road in Ekiti.
According to the bank’s Group Head, Strategy & Communications, Mr Shina Atilola, Sterling Bank’s on-going branch expansion is part of strategy to expand operations and branch network across the country to enable the bank deploy services to all parts of the country and leverage on this to successfully increase its share of the retail end of the market.
The new branch locations, according to Mr Atilola, would serve both retail and wholesale banking customers with a comprehensive range of products including the traditional banking products and services with an emphasis on technology driven products/services delivered through an on-line real-time technology platform already put in place by the bank.
The Bank’s Chief Strategist said that the bank planned to develop a robust service delivery network comprising the traditional “brick and mortar” branches and alternative delivery channels like the ATMs. He expressed his confidence that it would achieve the 200 branch network target it has set for 2014.
He said: “Our intention is to have in place, by the end of this year, about 200 functional branches spread across the country to enable us adequately reach our customers. The business locations also have adequate ATMs to ensure that customers were well served without delay by providing “all day” service availability”.
He explained that just like other business locations, the opening of additional branches by the bank would be based strictly on perceived customer-centric demands and financial aspirations that would meet the banking needs of Sterling Bank’s clients and prospects across the country. These branches are also equipped with state-of-the-art technological resources to create an online real-time banking environment.
He added: “With the sharp increase in the volume of the bank’s customer base, retail drive and enhanced corporate and commercial banking services, the opening of vital channels by way of branches has become necessary and would remain a continuous process as the bank targets market leadership through symbiotic partnerships with her numerous customers”.
Source : Tribune