Branches play an important—but changing—role in the typical bank’s retail strategy. Increasing digital adoption may make consumers more apt to deposit a check using a smartphone camera than through a teller, but they still want to visit a branch for advice: A Celent survey published in May 2018 found more than three-quarters of customers want to meet a banker face-to-face to discuss a topic in-depth. Very few—just 12 percent of millennials—say branches are unnecessary, and prefer all-digital interactions. And that has many banks evaluating whether to expand their branch network, even in today’s digital age. In Bank Director’s 2018 Technology...