Retail Trends: Tightly planned to single brand

For banking clients, maintaining a confident efficient image is paramount, even during a major merger or rebrand. Customers expectations must be managed without damaging their commitment to the brand. Closures must be kept to a minimum.

When Spanish giant Santander took over Abbey, Mace managed the rebranding of the entire UK-wide branch network to the most exacting deadlines and quality standards, delivering all branches on time, which totalled over 700 across a 3 year planned programme.

On a major rebrand, costs and programmes can quickly run out of control if expert oversight is lacking. Our experience and expertise covers every stage and skill in the construction process, and is delivered by a network of specialists operating on your doorstep, from more than 200 points across the country. 

This gives us the level of control that saw us successfully rebrand the Portman Building Society branch network following its merger with Nationwide in six weeks, and 10% under budget.

We don't just manage rebranding projects. We drive them forward, challenge their conventions, and always stand up for what's best for our clients. We leave no stone unturned in making sure you get complete value for money, on time.

Managing the performance of suppliers is crucial. On the Santander/Abbey programme, for example, we built partnerships with Abbey's established contractors through workshops, review meeting and team building events, and introduced them to our ‘right first time' policy. Almost half of the first wave of stores were delivered without a single snagging item.