Barclays

Barclays back on the high street as it opens more branches

2026-04-06 23:20:00 UTC

Vim Maru, UK chief executive, says customers will ‘not be stuck in a chatbot’ as he brings back the ‘bank manager’ job title

Major high street bank reopening branches in U-turn after shutting 800 locations

2026-04-06 23:20:00 UTC

In a major U-turn after shutting 800 branches across the UK - Barclays has announced they are bringing back in-person experiences and value customer service over chatbots

Barclays' Branch U-Turn Risks Diluting 14% RoTE Target as Capital-Intensive Hybrid Model Kicks In

2026-04-06 23:20:00 UTC

Barclays PLC (/ˈbɑːrkliz/, occasionally /-leɪz/) is a British multinational universal bank, headquartered in London, England. Barclays operates as five divisions: the UK Consumer Bank, UK Corporate Bank, Private Bank and Wealth Management (PBWM), Investment Bank, and the US Consumer Bank.

Barclays traces its origins to the goldsmith banking business established in the City of London in 1690 by Quakers John Freame and Thomas Gould. James Barclay became a partner in the business in 1736. In 1896, twelve banks in London and the English provinces, including Goslings Bank, Backhouse's Bank and Gurney, Peckover and Company, united as a joint-stock bank under the name Barclays and Co. Over the following decades, Barclays expanded to become a nationwide bank. In 1967, Barclays deployed the world's first cash dispenser. Barclays has made numerous corporate acquisitions, including of London, Provincial and South Western Bank in 1918, British Linen Bank in 1919, Mercantile Credit in 1975, the Woolwich in 2000 and the North American operations of Lehman Brothers in 2008.