Deutsche Bank plans to drastically reduce its branch network of 550 Postbank locations, as confirmed by the Head of Private Customers, Claudio de Sanctis, in an interview with the prestigious business newspaper "Financial Times". By mid-2026, 250 locations are expected to be closed.
This step is part of Deutsche Bank's strategy, which has been closing unprofitable locations since the takeover of Postbank in 2010. However, due to a long-term contract with Deutsche Post, the former owner of Postbank, many locations could not be closed. The contract has now been renegotiated, allowing Deutsche Bank to adapt its branch network to current economic conditions.
In addition to Postbank branches, Deutsche Bank branches will continue to be reduced, with no exact figures given by de Sanctis. At 100 of the remaining locations, it will no longer be possible to drop off parcels or buy stamps. The staff will focus exclusively on banking services, while Deutsche Post will look for separate locations nearby.
The remaining branches are to be restructured into technology centers, as de Sanctis emphasized. These will not only offer advice and service in the future, but will also be responsible for problems with the company's app. In the long term, Postbank also aims to develop into a "Mobile First" bank, as a spokesperson for Deutsche Bank confirmed. Personal advice on site will play a smaller role in this.
The exact impacts on jobs are still unclear, as Deutsche Bank will soon negotiate with employee representatives. However, De Sanctis emphasized that he hopes the move will result in "very significant savings" that will exceed the necessary investments.
Recently, Deutsche Bank has come under criticism for the difficulties encountered in migrating data from twelve million Postbank customers to its IT systems. The financial regulator Bafin was involved and appointed a special representative to ensure that customer service is quickly improved. However, De Sanctis assured that the problems will be resolved by the end of the year and that the bank has already made significant progress.
The experiences from this situation have clearly shown how important digital processes and services are in meeting customers' expectations. Therefore, Deutsche Bank will continue to invest in digitization to create an outstanding customer experience for its clients.
