O fechamento de agências afetou a rentabilidade dos bancos brasileiros? um estudo dos efeitos da estratégia de digitalização

Abstract

Considering the increasing reduction in the number of bank branches in Brazil, around 14% in the last 12 years, this study evaluates how this reduction affects the performance of Brazilian banks. The advancement of digitalization of internet-based banking transactions has been forcing banks, which have a wide network of physical branches, to create strategies aimed at maintaining and increasing their profitability. Among them, it is possible to mention the migra-tion of its customers to internet-based digital channels and the closure of its branch network. Studies have already shown that the digitalization of customers has an impact on the results of financial institutions. Hernando and Nieto (2007) and Ciciretti, Hasan and Zazzara (2009), for example, cite increases in profitability and cost reductions with the implementation of digital channels in Spanish and Italian banks. Mariani, Ornelas and Ricca (2023), however, mention that customers impacted by branch closures look for other digital banks to continue their oper-ations, which can generate negative results for their original banks. In the present study, two profitability measures (ROA and ROE) and two expense measures (personnel and administra-tive) were studied against the increasing reduction in the number of bank branches and it was analyzed whether such a strategy is positive for the banks' results. . The data obtained indi-cates that the closure of branches by banks has a statistically significant relationship with the profitability variables - which use digital channels for better and greater product offerings -, and with the administrative expenses variable - the reduction of administrative expenses ex-ceed other investments to support digitalization -, however, it does not have the variable of personnel expenses - which may be consumed by hiring employees with greater specialization in more specific technology and back-office functions -, partially agreeing with studies by Hernando and Nieto (2007).