Santander to rebrand high street brands

Spanish banking giant Santander is to rebrand its UK high street brands, with Abbey, Alliance & Leicester (A&L) and Bradford & Bingley (B&B) all to become known as Santander by the end of 2010.

The firm said any customer of the Abbey, Alliance & Leicester or B&B will be able to carry out transactions in any of Santander's UK branches. The first name changes will begin in June, with Abbey credit cards being rebranded. Branch renaming will begin next year.

Santander said its branding overhaul in the UK reflected the group's policy to operate under a single brand - which is already found in more than 40 countries. It has already incorporated its flame logo into Abbey.

António Horta-Osório, chief executive of Santander's UK businesses, said the switch provided a single customer view that was unique in UK banking.

"It will allow Santander to offer the full range of its products across its enlarged UK network. More importantly, it will allow the UK business to leverage the expertise and product developments from Santander's global business."