Design House bank account

NatWest has opened a pilot retail store at Lakeside Shopping Centre, Thurrock, with interiors by Design House.

Billed as a first in financial services retailing in the UK, the store features a less formal consultation area to make customers feel more comfortable.

A second site, also by Design House, will open next month at Basingstoke, Hampshire. Further sites will depend on the success of these pilots, says a NatWest spokesman.