ANZ NZ moving its Ponsonby National Bank branch in with ANZ branch as lease runs out

Some eight years after the ANZ Banking Group's National Bank acquisition and with the group's review of the ongoing use of the National Bank brand officially "parked', staff from the two banks Ponsonby branches are preparing to move in together.

Staff at the National Bank's Ponsonby branch are moving across the road to the ANZ.

An ANZ New Zealand spokesman said the National Bank branch was relocating because its lease was ending.

"The large size of the ANZ branch across the road gives us the opportunity to relocate the National Bank branch within the same property," the ANZ spokesman said.

"Each branch will continue to operate under its respective brand, offering the same services and high level of customer assistance as they do now. Staff will move with the National Bank branch meaning customers can continue to deal with the same familiar faces," he added.

The Ponsonby branches will retain their separate branding and colours. Similar moves have been made in a "handful" of other locations, including earthquake-affected Christchurch branches.

The Ponsonby two-into-one move comes as speculation continues about the future of the National Bank brand.

The ANZ Banking Group bought National Bank from Britain's Lloyds TSB in October 2003 for A$4.915 billion, excluding a dividend paid to Lloyds of NZ$575 million from National Bank's retained earnings, and retained both the ANZ and National Bank brands and branch networks.

Last year ANZ renewed its rights to use the Lloyds black horse on a green and white background as the National Bank logo until the end of 2014.

However, earlier this year ANZ Banking Group CEO Mike Smith told interest.co.nz that he would like to see both ANZ and National Bank customers able to use the banks as one bank because operating as two separate banks is inefficient. And in June an ANZ New Zealand spokeswoman said the group aimed to wrap up a review of the ongoing use of the National Bank brand by the end of the year.

Then last month ANZ New Zealand CEO David Hisco told interest.co.nz the review had been "parked" with no decision coming in 2011. Staff from ANZ and the National Bank, who have continued to operate on two separate information technology (IT) platforms since 2003, are now being put together on one.

Meanwhile,  ANZ NZ significantly increased advertising spending through its ANZ brand in the first eight months of the year as it reined in advertising spend on the National Bank brand. Figures supplied to interest.co.nz by Nielsen AIS, show ANZ NZ spent NZ$17.7 million on advertising the ANZ brand in the eight months to August 31 this year, compared with just NZ$14.6 million in the entire 2010 calendar year. In contrast, National Bank advertising spending totaled just NZ$2.3 million in the eight months to August, compared with NZ$16.7 million in 2010.

And after the ANZ's high profile sponsorship of the Rugby World Cup, the Black Caps are featuring the ANZ logo on their shirts in the current cricket test series against Australia in place of the National Bank logo.

ANZ NZ's spokespeople say, however, the group "remains absolutely committed" to maintaining ANZ NZ as the biggest branch network in the country, with the largest number of people supporting its customers, and has opened three new branches in Auckland over the past year in Glenfield, Royal Oak and Manukau.