Umpqua Bank has rolled out a new iteration of its award-winning neighborhood store concept in Seattle’s Capitol Hill district. The Capitol Hill store features elements not yet found at other Umpqua locations including the “Discover Wall,” an interactive touchscreen that digitally showcases financial tools and product information, along with videos by local artists.
The wall also incorporates something Umpqua calls its “Return on Responsibility” module, featuring real-time information about the ways in which Umpqua supports the community engagement — hours volunteered by bank associates, youth financial literacy initiatives, charitable contributions made by Umpqua, etc.
Other features in the 2,897 square-foot location include Umpqua’s “LocalSpotlight” program featuring local merchants and there products. There is also café space for consumers to bank online, surf the web and explore Umpqua’s in-store digital experience.
And are you ready for this? There’s even a hotline phone so customers call the bank’s president directly.
To successfully bust into the crowded Seattle banking market, Umpqua knew it needed to distinguish itself. “I sort of asked myself the $64 million question — ‘How do you differentiate a bank?’” chief executive Ray Davis told the Puget Sound Business Journal. “We couldn’t out-muscle the big guys. But we could differentiate the delivery system.”
“I don’t believe that traditional bank advertising — the ad where the warm grandfather is hugging his kids — works,” Davis continued. “How many times do you think that has inspired people to open a checking account?”
Umpqua’s newest branch design, like the versions that preceded it, still aims to be a local “gathering place that encourages community involvement,” Umpqua said in a statement.
“Our store environments are meant to invite the public in,” said Lani Hayward in an interview with a local Seattle publication. “We want people to come in and browse.”
Ritz Carlton-trained employees will deliver Umpqua’s signature service model, which includes regional touches such as a gourmet chocolate coin with each transaction.
Umpqua captured the banking industry’s attention when it rolled out a revolutionary store concept back in 2003. The bank has continued to push the envelope of branch design ever since, with a dedicated innovation lab and a bold, progressive vision for its branches of the future.
“Umpqua has been recognized for our unique customer experience, and we continue to draw on new and emerging technology to improve our stores,” Umpqua’s Davis said.
Umpqua Bank, widely admired as one of the best financial brands in retail banking, has $11 billion in assets and 183 locations spanning from San Francisco to Seattle.
UMPQUA BANK – CAPITOL HILL EXTERIOR
Umpqua’s Capitol Hill store will provide personal banking, small business and commercial lending solutions in-person and online. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9 am to 6 pm, and Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm.
ONLINE CHANNELS
Umpqua creates a special page on its website for each branch location it opens. The Capitol Hill location also has its own Facebook page, where associates post news about store events, special promotions and community events.
