Halifax to disappear from UK high street as Lloyds axes bank brand after 173 years

The decision, which has proved controversial among loyal customers and Halifax residents, follows a review of Lloyds’ branding strategy. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian View image in fullscreen The decision, which has proved controversial among loyal customers and Halifax residents, follows a review of Lloyds’ branding strategy. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian Halifax to disappear from UK high street as Lloyds axes bank brand after 173 years Group confirms it will stop opening new accounts under the name and move existing ones to Lloyds Lloyds Banking Group has announced it is axing the Halifax brand, meaning the 173-year-old former building society’s name will disappear from UK high streets. The group will stop opening new accounts under the Halifax brand, and kickstart a process of shifting existing accounts to Lloyds branding over the coming days. The bank will begin removing Halifax signs from 190 of the group’s 531 branches in early 2027. No branches will be closed as a result of the changeover. The decision, first reported in May , has proved controversial among loyal customers and Halifax residents, and follows a review of Lloyds’ branding strategy. ‘Everyone is proud of it’: dismay in Halifax at Lloyds’ threat to historic brand Read more The group has operated under three brands – Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland – since January 2009, when the financial crisis and a series of bad business decisions brought the combined Halifax-Bank of Scotland group to its knees. The overhaul means Lloyds will be the group’s sole brand in England, Wales and Northern Ireland from next year, although Bank of Scotland will be retained for customers in Scotland. The bank assured customers that sort codes and account numbers will not be affected by the brand migration plan. However, axing Halifax would mean getting rid of one of the most recognisable and historic lenders on the UK high street. The former building society tracing its roots to the mid-1800s, when housing shortages and overcrowding prompted the founding of the Halifax Permanent Benefit Building Society, which allowed members to earn interest on deposits, and borrow funds to buy or build their own home. skip past newsletter promotion after newsletter promotion Lloyds’ consumer relations boss Jas Singh said: “As Halifax changes to Lloyds, our Halifax customers will keep everything they know and love today – the same fantastic app design, the same friendly faces in our branches – even the same sort code and account number. But as Lloyds customers, they’ll get the best innovation and experiences we offer. “Our Lloyds customers are already benefiting from a significant investment into propositions like Club Lloyds, Lloyds Premier, Lloyds Ultra and Lloyds Rewards – and now we’re really excited that Halifax customers can bank on Lloyds for more.” Explore more on these topics Lloyds Banking Group Banking Banks and building societies news Share Reuse this content