Closure of Bank Branches in Ceará

An irreversible trend has been taking hold across municipalities in both the Metropolitan Region and the countryside: the closure of bank branches. Data from Brazil’s Central Bank show that between 2014 and 2024, at least 90 branches shut their doors in Ceará.

There is little that can be done to counter this reality. The modernization of banking systems and services has rendered most in-person operations unnecessary, while technology has simultaneously expanded and simplified digital access for users. How can one argue - before public or private institutions - that a branch should remain open despite low demand?

The losses are tangible, especially for commerce and the service sector. Consumers who still insist on cash, and shopkeepers who remain resistant to Pix and other forms of digital payment, are most affected. At its core, this is a cultural issue that demands awareness rather than complacency.

But there are also social - and even humanitarian - factors at play. Some municipalities have very few branches, or facilities in precarious conditions. As long as there is user demand, service must be delivered with dignity and comfort. It is unacceptable to leave retirees, pensioners, and social program beneficiaries standing in line under the sun or rain, waiting on the sidewalk. This is an essential point that must be stressed.

Gradually, across Ceará and throughout Brazil, more branches are expected to close. A growing number of people will naturally adapt to digital services. Banks, after all, operate to generate profit - and that logic applies just as much to Banco do Brasil, Caixa Econômica Federal, and the much-beloved Banco do Nordeste.

Lottery outlets and post office service points may become alternatives to soften the transition from paper to digital. Small and medium-sized businesses, too, can play a role in this process.

Thirty years from now, a reader stumbling upon this article may find it hard to believe how distant such a reality once was, in the first half of this century.

That’s the way it goes...

Blesser Moreno is a sociologist