How many locations does the St. Gallen Cantonal Bank have?

According to the source, the network of the St. Gallen cantonal bank consists of 37 locations. CEO Christian Schmid considers it central to SGKB and links its value to proximity to the local area, networks of contacts and roots in the region. The interview does not indicate any reduction: Schmid instead rules out a downsizing of the branch network.

Will SGKB reduce its branch network?

CEO Christian Schmid promises that there will be no downsizing of the branch network. The statement concerns the 37 locations that make up the network of the St. Gallen cantonal bank. The source presents the physical presence as a strength linked to the local area and regional roots for SGKB.

How does Christian Schmid view the competition from Revolut?

Schmid views the competition from neobanks such as Revolut with a certain degree of calm. The indicated approach is to defend the status of primary bank. According to the manager, whoever holds the primary current account retains the main financial point of reference in the customer's life. The source does not report comparative fees or services.

When will the corporate strategy be updated?

An update to the corporate strategy is scheduled for February. The source does not indicate the day and does not preview the content of the update. It does specify, however, that the business model focused on the domestic market of German-speaking Switzerland, Germany, institutional investors and external asset managers works excellently, according to management.

SGKB confirms the 37 physical branches

Di Redazione Frontaliere Ticino · Published on 10 October 2026

Physical branch of a Swiss cantonal bank in St. Gallen

SGKB maintains the network of 37 physical locations.

Context

TL;DR

SGKB maintains its network of 37 physical locations.
Christian Schmid defends its role as the primary bank.
The strategy update is scheduled for February.
The model covers German-speaking Switzerland, Germany and external managers.

Key facts

Bank: St. Gallen Cantonal Bank (SGKB)
Network: 37 branches
CEO: Christian Schmid
Age: 57
Strategic update: in February
Competition mentioned: neobanks such as Revolut

The network remains central

The St. Gallen Cantonal Bank (SGKB) confirms the central role of its network of 37 physical branches. This is the position expressed by CEO Christian Schmid in an interview published by Finanz und Wirtschaft, while the Swiss banking landscape is described as evolving.

Schmid, 57, linked the role of branches to proximity to the local area, networks of contacts and roots in the region. For the bank, this presence is a strength, and no downsizing of the network is planned.

The bank considers proximity to the local area, relationships built locally and regional roots to be its strength and categorically rules out any downsizing of its branch network.

The main account as a goal

Schmid approaches competition from neobanks, including Revolut, with a certain calm. The manager identifies defending its status as the main bank as the goal. The reasoning concerns the number-one current account: whoever holds it, according to Schmid, remains the main financial point of reference in the customer’s life.

The executive’s profile includes a doctorate earned at HSG, the University of St. Gallen. In the interview, this element accompanies the assessments of competition and the bank’s position in the region.

The next strategic update

An update to the corporate strategy is scheduled for February. The source does not preview any other details of the plan, but reports that the operating model aimed at the domestic market in German-speaking Switzerland, Germany, institutional investors and external asset managers is producing excellent results, according to management.

The physical network, the main account and the scope of the business model are therefore the points highlighted in the interview. The February update is the step indicated for the strategy’s continuation, with no advance content in the source.

Operational details

What this means for those evaluating SGKB

The news offers a specific practical indication, but does not announce a new product or a new procedure for customers. The source does not report fees, account terms, branch hours or services connected to the 37 locations. Therefore, the usable information is the strategic direction: physical presence remains central and downsizing is ruled out.

For those comparing conti bancari in Svizzera, the distinction is useful. One thing is to read the commitment to the network; another is to attribute to the bank terms that the interview does not describe. Today, the comparison concerns the relationship model and the role of the primary account, not prices or services that are not present in the source.

Table 1: Declared element
Declared element	Practical reading
37 locations and no downsizing	Physical presence is an explicit choice by SGKB.
Primary current account	The bank wants to remain the customer's main financial point of reference.
Revolut and neobanks	Competition is acknowledged, but Schmid views it calmly.
Update in February	The strategic framework is awaiting an update.

Two comparison criteria

If geographic proximity is the priority, SGKB's statement makes the bank's choice clear: 37 locations and no downsizing announced. If the comparison is with a neobank such as Revolut, the explicit response is not a fee or a new service, but the defense of its status as the primary bank. This is the scope that the source allows us to analyze.

The business model also has interpretive implications. It is not described solely in terms of branches: it includes the domestic market in German-speaking Switzerland, Germany, institutional investors and external wealth managers. For those observing SGKB as a company, the local network is therefore paired with a broader commercial scope. The strategy updated in February will help clarify that framework; until then, no details can be added about objectives or measures not reported.

Recommended tools

For an updated estimate, use the net salary calculator and the CHF-EUR exchange comparator.

Key points

How to read the choice before taking action

The source does not describe a procedure for opening, transferring, or closing an account. It does not indicate forms, documents, costs, or operational deadlines for customers. The concrete process must therefore serve to assess the available information, without turning the February update into a decision that has already been published.

Three verifiable steps

1. Start with the certain facts. Record the network of 37 branches, the central role attributed to the branches, and the absence of an announced downsizing. These are the useful elements for measuring how much physical presence weighs in your choice. 2. Define the primary account. SGKB wants to defend its status as a primary bank and connects the number-one current account to the main financial reference point in the customer's life. Ask yourself whether this is the type of relationship you are looking for, without attributing additional conditions to the source. 3. Mark February as a time for verification. The strategic update is scheduled for that month, but the source provides neither the day nor a preview of the content. Until then, consider the stated model and the decisions that might be communicated as distinct.

What to compare

Put the two axes present in the news on a single sheet. The first is territorial: branches, proximity, networks of contacts, and regional roots. The second is competitive and commercial: neobanks such as Revolut, the domestic market of German-speaking Switzerland, Germany, institutional investors, and external asset managers. The source does not, however, authorize comparisons of fees, returns, opening hours, or services: those data are not reported.

This method avoids two opposite errors. The first is reading the confirmation of the 37 branches as an announcement about every service offered by the bank; the second is considering the February update already available. For a general overview of conti bancari in Svizzera, use the comparison only as support for checking your criteria, not as a substitute for the strategic details that the source does not report.

To complete the assessment of your personal finances, use calcolatore stipendio.

Source: swissinfo.ch

Frequently Asked Questions

How many locations does the St. Gallen Cantonal Bank have?: According to the source, the network of the St. Gallen cantonal bank consists of 37 locations. CEO Christian Schmid considers it central to SGKB and links its value to proximity to the local area, networks of contacts and roots in the region. The interview does not indicate any reduction: Schmid instead rules out a downsizing of the branch network.
Will SGKB reduce its branch network?: CEO Christian Schmid promises that there will be no downsizing of the branch network. The statement concerns the 37 locations that make up the network of the St. Gallen cantonal bank. The source presents the physical presence as a strength linked to the local area and regional roots for SGKB.
How does Christian Schmid view the competition from Revolut?: Schmid views the competition from neobanks such as Revolut with a certain degree of calm. The indicated approach is to defend the status of primary bank. According to the manager, whoever holds the primary current account retains the main financial point of reference in the customer's life. The source does not report comparative fees or services.
When will the corporate strategy be updated?: An update to the corporate strategy is scheduled for February. The source does not indicate the day and does not preview the content of the update. It does specify, however, that the business model focused on the domestic market of German-speaking Switzerland, Germany, institutional investors and external asset managers works excellently, according to management.