Deutsche Bank to close 100 branches in Germany

(Patria) - Germany's largest bank, Deutsche Bank, has announced that it will close around 100 branches across Germany by the end of 2026, including part of the Postbank network, which operates within the DB group.

The decision is part of a broader strategy to adapt to changes in customer behavior and the accelerated shift to digital banking services, reports Biznisinfo.

The closure plan was confirmed by Claudio de Sanctis, a member of Deutsche Bank's management board responsible for private customer business, emphasizing that the bank must adapt to the reality where banking is increasingly done not at counters, but on mobile phones.

According to Deutsche Bank data, the use of mobile and online banking applications has increased by about 20 percent in the last year and a half, while interest in visiting physical branches is continuously declining.

At the end of 2025, Deutsche Bank and Postbank together had slightly more than 750 branches in Germany, serving about 19 million private clients. In such circumstances, maintaining a dense branch network is becoming increasingly expensive and less justified.

In parallel with branch closures, Deutsche Bank is investing heavily in digitalization. The bank is developing an AI assistant for customer support, which is expected to help clients use the application in the second half of 2026, answer basic questions, and resolve simple problems – without the need to visit a branch.

The goal is to relieve employees and provide customers with quick support 24 hours a day.

Deutsche Bank states that they do not plan to completely abolish physical branches, but rather to transform them. Those that remain will primarily function as advisory centers, intended for important financial decisions such as buying property, investing and saving, and taking out larger loans.

Consultations will be conducted in person, as well as via video calls, as the bank attempts to combine physical and digital banking.

The reduction of the branch network also implies a gradual reduction in the number of employees in the retail banking sector. However, the bank claims it does not plan mass layoffs, but will reduce staff naturally – through retirement and not filling vacant positions.

The closure of branches and the reduction in the number of ATMs particularly affects the older population, who find it harder to adapt to digital services. As an alternative, Postbank has announced the possibility of withdrawing cash in certain stores, but using a mobile app and a digital code – a solution that still requires basic digital literacy.

Deutsche Bank's decision is not an exception. Banks across Europe have been closing thousands of branches in recent years, as banking rapidly moves to digital platforms. Germany, as the largest European market, is now entering a phase where even traditionally strong banking networks are undergoing profound transformation.

For customers, this means fewer counters, more apps, but also a different relationship with banks than in decades past.