File photo courtesy of KeyBank

Ohio-based KeyBank plans to close six branches across Connecticut this summer, after closing two locations earlier this year.

KeyBank recently notified customers that the branches would close on July 23, the bank said in a statement emailed to The Commercial Record. The branches closing are in Columbia, Eastford, Stafford, Westbrook, Yalesville and the New Haven Branch at Tower One. KeyBank will also close its branch in Southwick, Massachusetts, on the Connecticut border.

The bank in March had closed one of its West Haven locations. Two of the bank’s four Manchester branches have also recently closed. The branch on East Center Street closed in January, and the North Main Street branch closed in October, according to filings with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

The bank will consolidate customer accounts into nearby branches. KeyBank currently has 54 branches in Connecticut, according to FDIC data.

The closings are due in part to the increase in digital banking. KeyBank said the ways clients interact with branches has continued to change at a rapid pace. Before the pandemic, Keybank had already seen twice as many transactions completed online or through mobile banking compared to transactions at a branch office. That trend increased over the past year, KeyBank said.

The closings are also part of a strategic decision.

“While these consolidations are, in part, a reflection of changing client preferences, they are also strategic so that we can make additional investments in this market – such as redesigning many of our branches to provide a more engaging banking experience and increasing the number employees in our branches, allowing our teammates to spend more time with customers,” KeyBank said in the statement.

The bank said it does not expect the branch consolidations to result in job losses.

“Our branches are and always will be a source of strength for KeyBank and a critical way we differentiate ourselves in Connecticut and Western Massachusetts,” the statement said. “We want to emphasize our continued commitment to helping our communities thrive, and we are proud of our entire team’s efforts in supporting our clients and communities throughout this market.”