Laurentian Bank today announced the opening of the banks’s first financial services boutique.

Located in Blainville, Quebec, the new branch will be joined by four others in the coming weeks, namely in Gatineau, Mascouche, Sainte-Dorothée and La Prairie. All five branches feature the new boutique concept, a complete rethinking of the in-branch banking experience.

For Raymond McManus, president and CEO of Laurentian Bank, “these openings are directly related to the bank’s decision last year to concentrate on markets in which it enjoys a competitive advantage … It marks an important step in our drive to strengthen our presence in Quebec, where we clearly have the potential to become an even stronger financial institution.”

According to the bank, new financial services boutiques go beyond traditional branches. The new architectural design features spaces for children to play in, an area where clients can relax for a few minutes, service islands instead of traditional counters, and a library zone in which clients can learn about various banking-related subjects.

“The financial services boutique concept is an extension of Laurentian Bank’s customer service culture. Three objectives guided us throughout the process: to create branches that are refreshingly original and welcoming and thus improve the customer experience; to make our branches not only stops but also destinations, places that focus on providing information and making financial services more understandable; and, lastly, to become a partner in the communities in which we do business,” said Réjean Robitaille, executive vp, retail financial services,

The bank says the opening of the new branches is the first step in the consolidation of its network. The institution’s priority is to strengthen its presence mainly in suburban Montreal, in the areas with the strongest demographic growth.

Besides shaping the architecture of the bank’s new branches, the financial services boutique concept will gradually be implemented in the branch network.