PNC plans for surge of new branches, despite industry's digital push

The traditional bank branch has been going the way of the landline phone for some 20 years, with major national and regional institutions reasoning brick-and-mortar banking is too costly in a digital-first financial world, 

To wit: The American Bankers Association, in a July report, found banks and credit unions nationwide shed a net 8,500 branches over the past four years. That dropped the total count of branches to 95,000, the ABA reports, 16% below peak levels from 2016.