RBC has expanded its operations in one of the fastest growing areas in Halifax with a new RBC Retail Store. Located at 9 Peakview Way in Hemlock Square (off Larry Uteck Blvd.), this new retail store is the second of its kind in Halifax and only the seventh in all of Canada. With the Hemlock Square store, RBC now has 17 stores in Halifax Regional Municipality.

The new store offers a fresh take on the bank branch experience with interactive advice areas, “touch” or surface screen technology, and a more open area for customers. It is designed to support the customer’s “life events” such as purchasing a home or saving for retirement, offering solutions to help clients made great client financial decisions.

The bank’s research has shown that customer demands and expectations were changing and clients wanted a shopping experience that was much more engaging and transparent than what a retail bank has traditionally offered. So we set out to design a new branch experience that would meet our clients’ needs and also helped us be different from our competition. Part of that change was the inclusion of interactive technology to support our staff discussions with clients.

Microsoft “Surface” is one of those technologies. It has some neat applications on it that are both interactive and engaging. For instance, there is a ”Drop a Coin” application which allows you to quickly see what a few dollars a day could be worth in the future, illustrating the importance of regular automatic contributions and compound interest. All of this is automatically calculated and displayed.

“Our business was growing to the point where we needed to expand – which is a good problem to have!” said Glen Dormody, RBC’s regional vice president for Metro Halifax. “We are thrilled to be opening in this particular community, which seems to be getting bigger by the day, and are delighted with the reaction so far from residents. We’re receiving tons of fantastic comments from new and existing clients alike. They love the new retail design, the technology, the convenience of evening and Saturday hours, and of course, our fabulous team.”

RBC Retail Stores offer:

– A casual, no-risk atmosphere where clients can ask questions or gather information on their own and get personal tailor-made advice
– State of the art interactive technology to help clients explore financial questions important to them
– Increased staff interaction to assist clients with their banking needs
– Events and seminars for all clients and members of the community

Hemlock customers have access to a full team of mobile professionals including small business bankers, commercial bankers, financial planners, investment and retirement planners, and mortgage specialists.

To celebrate the opening, RBC made a $5,000 donation to Feed Nova Scotia. “This is our way of marking this special occasion and giving back to the community that has so enthusiastically supported us,” said Tracy Saarloos, manager of the Hemlock RBC store.

RBC has the largest branch and ATM network and the strongest geographic reach from coast to coast with over 1,200 branches – 17 per cent more than the closest competing financial institution – and 4,227 ATMs across the country. The newly designed retail stores are part of RBC’s commitment to evolving its branch network into a best in class retail store and advice centre by addressing clients’ four key needs: service, advice, access and convenience, and value for money.

About RBC

Royal Bank of Canada (RY on TSX and NYSE) and its subsidiaries operate under the master brand name RBC. We are Canada’s largest bank as measured by assets and market capitalization, and among the largest banks in the world, based on market capitalization. We are one of North America’s leading diversified financial services companies, and provide personal and commercial banking, wealth management services, insurance, corporate and investment banking and transaction processing services on a global basis. We employ approximately 79,000 full- and part-time employees who serve close to 16 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the U.S. and 56 other countries. For more information, please visit rbc.com.

Source: http://www.bedfordbeacon.com/rbc-expands-in-halifax-with-new-retail-concept-store