Bank learns harsh lesson in shuttering beloved branch

Banks nationwide have been shedding branches at a slow drumbeat for years, saving brick and mortar costs while customers migrate to online and mobile banking.

But an object lesson for bankers in how to handle the logistics of closings — and the impact a decision can have on a brand — is happening on Longboat Key. That’s where Fidelity Bank is set to close a branch. The bank told customers in a June 13 letter the last day of the office, in the Centre Shops of Longboat, will be Sept. 13.