That was three years ago when I just started working and went to the bank to apply for a salary card, "said Xiao Li, a post-95s, recalling the last time he went to an offline bank branch to do business. Xiao Li's words revealed the daily life of many young people nowadays. In the digital age, financial transactions can be easily completed with just a few clicks of a finger, and bank branches are undergoing a process of "downsizing". According to rough statistics from the Financial License Information Query System of the State Administration of Financial Supervision and Administration, nearly 10000 bank branches across the country will be approved to terminate operations by 2025, an increase of over 200% compared to the full year of 2024. At the same time, the road to financial services for elderly people who rely on offline branches for business is becoming increasingly bumpy. Elderly people are the key group for offline services. After the first snowfall in Beijing in winter 2025, Mr. Gong, 58, set off early and took a half-hour bus to a bank branch to avoid queuing. My phone always doesn't receive balance change prompts, and I don't know how to operate online banking, so I can only go to an offline branch once. ”Mr. Gong stated that although there is a bank branch within a 15 minute walk of his home, it is not open on weekends. And he only has time on weekends, so he can only look far and near. Actually, young people can handle it online in just a few minutes. I went to the offline branch to handle it, and it took me a whole morning of back and forth, "Mr. Gong said. In addition, for many silver haired individuals, conducting business at offline branches can provide them with a tangible sense of security. Ms. Liu, 54, said that although she knows how to use mobile banking, she still prefers to go to offline bank branches due to issues such as long queues for offline transactions. Especially when it comes to saving money, I have to go to a bank branch to apply for a deposit certificate. If it's only stored in my phone, I always feel uneasy, "Ms. Liu said. Nowadays, young people rarely go to the branches to handle business, and the customers who come to the branches are generally older. Elderly customers are one of the key service groups of offline branches. Whether it is cash deposit and withdrawal, transfer and remittance, or financial consultation, middle-aged and elderly customers are more willing to go to the branch to handle it. ”Ms. Deng, a customer manager of a commercial bank in Beijing, said that this is mainly because many middle-aged and elderly customers are worried about making mistakes in mobile banking operations, and some even do not know how to use mobile banking functions at all. According to interviews with reporters, some branches have become "elderly public welfare activity stations". Many silver haired people are still accustomed to using cash to complete daily payments, and their demand for bank financial services is relatively single. They usually only go to bank branches to deposit and withdraw funds, apply for social security cards, elderly cards and other businesses. I don't know how to manage my own finances. Every month, I only go to the bank to deposit money into my passbook when I receive my retirement pension, and let my children manage their finances. ”Mr. Zhao, who is 86 years old this year, said. In this context, offline bank branches also undertake the function of providing various lifestyle services for the silver haired generation. Ms. Zhou, a customer manager at a certain bank, told reporters that elderly people often come to their branches to rest, using air conditioning in summer, heating in winter, drinking water when thirsty, or charging their phones when they run out of battery. I usually ask the other party if they want to do business first, and many elderly people say 'just come in and sit for a while'. If I'm not busy, I'll pour them a cup of hot water, "Ms. Zhou admitted. Nowadays, many bank branches are like" elderly activity centers ", where elderly people have more free time and there is no suitable activity space near their homes. Some of them choose to come to bank branches, which is quite common. Ms. Deng mentioned that while banks fulfill their financial service functions, they indirectly play the role of community public welfare activity stations for the elderly. At their bank branches, elderly people often come to rest and play chess. Compared to the branches near the commercial district, this phenomenon is more pronounced in the community branches near residential areas, "Ms. Deng said. For this reason, some banks have specially designed various activities for elderly customers at their branches. Ms. Deng said, "Previously, we had a one-year cooperation with medical institutions to provide free blood pressure measurement, carotid artery testing and other services for elderly customers. During festivals and holidays, we would also invite calligraphy teachers to our branches to carry out various public welfare activities such as writing blessings and giving Spring Festival couplets to nearby elderly residents." Making financial services more suitable for the elderly. Facing the "slimming down" of bank branches, how can we make financial services more suitable for the elderly? Ms. Deng believes that the current distribution density of community bank branches in urban areas is relatively high, with some sections having concentrated branches. Even if one or two branches are closed, the overall impact will not be significant. She stated that as banks transition towards providing better services for the elderly population, their branches have been promoting aging friendly renovations by equipping wheelchairs, setting up exclusive channels for the elderly, and providing on-site services. The on-site service model can effectively compensate for the inconvenience caused by the distance between branches, "she said. In November 2024, the State Administration of Financial Supervision and Administration of China issued the "Guiding Opinions on Further Improving the Aging Level of Financial Services", requiring financial institutions to optimize traditional service methods, solidly guarantee basic financial services, including optimizing the layout of business outlets, improving the configuration of aging facilities, enhancing counter service levels, and continuously optimizing cash services. Make good use of smart technology achievements to improve the aging service level, including promoting the aging transformation of Internet applications, optimizing mobile APP service processes and functions, optimizing self-service and promoting the use of portable smart services. Hong Tao, Vice Chairman of the China Society of Consumer Economics and Director of the Institute of Business Economics at Beijing Technology and Business University, believes that in the face of the reduction of bank branches, it is necessary to pay attention to the pain points of elderly people who "cannot use" and "dare not use" online banking. To solve this problem, we need to help the elderly "learn to use" and "boldly use" online services through offline experience stores, and also build a multi-party collaborative mechanism that includes policy guidance, financial innovation, technological empowerment, and social participation, to promote deep integration of online and offline. At the same time, we will build a pension finance system that covers the entire life cycle, tilt resources towards areas with weak financial services such as rural areas, and work together to ensure that elderly people are not left behind in digital transformation, achieving the goal of inclusive finance. ”Hong Tao stated. (New Society)