VTB plans to expand the accessibility of financial services to 100 million Russians by the end of 2026, said Georgy Gorshkov, Deputy President and Chairman of the Board of the Bank. The changes will be carried out as part of a new three-year development strategy. This was reported by the bank's press service.
The bank is now represented in 79 Russian regions, and its network of branches serves more than 50 million people, mainly in large and medium-sized cities. To increase the accessibility of financial services, the bank intends to significantly expand its physical presence in cities with a population of 20 thousand or more.
VTB said that offices will be launched primarily in a “light” format. Of the 180 branches this year, 120 will open in this compact form. Switching to them will allow the bank to reduce the cost of launching one point and quickly adapt financial offers to the needs of residents.
“We choose flexibility to be where the client is. To do this, we are completely reviewing the operation of service channels, customer service and adapting them to the characteristics of specific cities and towns, making the bank accessible in any format,” emphasized Georgy Gorshkov.
It is planned that by the end of 2026 the network of bank branches will grow by 40% and will have 1.8 thousand points. The bank plans to expand its presence in new regions where it was not previously represented — this year its offices will appear in Ingushetia, Kalmykia, Karachay-Cherkessia and Tuva.
To implement the three-year strategy, VTB will review the work of its channels service and customer service, adapting them to the needs of each specific client.