OCBC Wisma Atria draws more sales of bank accounts and credit cards than banking-only branches - double the number of OCBC 360 account openings and 7 times more credit card sign-ups

Singapore, 14 September 2023 – OCBC Wisma Atria – the bank’s largest integrated lifestyle and banking branch – is welcoming new lifestyle partners in celebration of its first anniversary. This includes popular café Baristart Coffee, and new art partners such as independent curators and non-profit organisations who will showcase selected works as part of the branch's revamped art line-up. Such lifestyle elements at branches are part of the bank’s strategy to deepen its relationship with customers and attract new ones.

OCBC Wisma Atria receives about double the visitors compared to the banking-only branches. Aside from customers coming to OCBC Wisma Atria for banking needs, 7 in 10 of the visitors to the branch were shoppers attracted by the food and beverage options and retail partners spread across the branch’s 20,000 square foot space. This group has played a significant role in OCBC Wisma Atria seeing double the number of account openings for the bank’s flagship OCBC 360 savings account and 7 times more credit card applications compared to banking-only branches in the year to date. In addition, since its soft opening in August 2022, the average monthly wealth revenue generated by OCBC Wisma Atria has consistently been double that of a banking-only branch in a similar vicinity, OCBC’s former orchardgateway branch.

The opening of the highly popular Baristart Coffee at OCBC Wisma Atria will draw a larger crowd. This will be the café’s third outpost, complementing its branches at Tras Street and Sentosa. Baristart Coffee took up residence at the Wisma branch’s café storefront earlier this month and offers familiar favourites like its rich coffees and cream puffs made with quality Hokkaido BIEI Jersey milk, as well as their highly recommended main dishes like the obihiro butadon (grilled pork belly with rice) and wafu pasta.

OCBC Wisma Atria visitors can enjoy a cup of the popular Baristart Latte and Hokkaido Cream Puff, among other things.

OCBC Wisma Atria also recently refreshed its approach to art offerings. OCBC had worked with a commercial art gallery. It has begun to work with other groups such as independent curators, non-profit organisations and individual artists, changing its art showcase every quarter. In doing so, the branch gets to take in art from different organisations, who have different missions and approaches to art, expanding the range of works customers get to see. From now till December 2023, OCBC is working with Dong Lee Investment Private Limited, an art exhibitions organiser that aims to promote Chinese arts and crafts in Singapore and Southeast Asia. In January 2024, it will work with local non-profit arts intermediary Art Outreach, which provides support for art practitioners and advocates visual literacy and critical thinking to children, parents, and the broader public.

Dong Lee Investment Pte Ltd’s Roving Perspectives, featuring sketches by Singaporean architect Ma Pak Loong and oil paintings by Chinese artist Miao Yao Sheng, will run till 31 October 2023.

A mutually beneficial partnership

Besides the benefits to OCBC, OCBC Wisma Atria’s lifestyle partners have seen success from this partnership. OCBC Wisma Atria’s books partner, BookXcess, has seen sales increase 20 per cent since it started full at the branch in September 2022. Homewares and lifestyle retailer Crane Living has had over 12,000 people attend its over 15 pop-ups held at OCBC Wisma Atria to date. OCBC continues to partner award-winning furniture and lifestyle label SCENE SHANG and omakase restaurant Sushi Moka, testament to the value of this collaboration.

Mr Sunny Quek, OCBC’s Head of Global Consumer Financial Services, said, “In the digital age of today, branches still are an important channel for the bank. Customers value the face-to-face interaction – better still, if these interactions are organic. The lifestyle element of OCBC Wisma Atria does exactly this. It naturally leads to conversations, and that has led to good results for us. OCBC Wisma Atria has had double the number of OCBC 360 account openings and 7 times more credit card applications compared to banking-only branches in the year to date. Given these encouraging numbers, we will continue to find other innovative ways of deepening the relationship we have with our customers, whether it’s via the branch, our OCBC Digital app or at other touchpoints.”

While the branch hosts regular events as part of its lifestyle programming, there will be special pop-ups and offers to celebrate OCBC Wisma Atria’s first anniversary from now till November. Details can be found and will be updated at go.ocbc.com/events.