DANISH BANKS (5)

The number of bank branches in Denmark has fallen rapidly since the start of the financial crisis in 2008, but it is still surprising just how fast. Nordea has gone from 319 to 156, for instance, and Danske Bank from 367 to 144. The number where you can be served by a human has fallen even faster (286 to 64, 310 to 54).

A necessary prerequisite for profitability, say the banks. Poor service, say I. The local cinema had its bank account with Nordea, whose branch in the local town has just closed. Either we could drive 16km each way in order to deposit cash in the nearest Nordea branch or we could change bank. Not surprisingly, we chose the latter.

Walter Blotscher