With the advance of high technology and the relentless pressure from internet finance, new formats such as mobile banking and WeChat banking have emerged one after another. The range of services traditionally handled at bank counters has been continuously eroded by the internet, and traditional physical branches are now facing the question of what value they can offer as customers and funds shift from offline to online. Guangdong Nanyue Bank has keenly recognized this challenge. Guided by the philosophy that service leads bank transformation, the bank has introduced emerging service formats such as toy libraries in its branches, taking the lead in reaching the “last mile” of the community.
Currently, community banks are beginning to spread across major residential areas in China, and competition around the “last mile” is intensifying. In response to this trend, Guangdong Nanyue Bank has its own unique perspective: the functional layout of each branch should be different, requiring analysis and research on the target customer base to identify and meet their needs, making each branch unique. For example, if a branch is located near a large residential community with many families and children, its functional layout should be designed around the needs of children.
“World-class” educational services create a distinctive experience space
It is understood that the toy library of Guangdong Nanyue Bank is designed for children. It follows the globally popular and widely recognized “learning through play” educational philosophy. Not only does it offer more than 700 types of toys, but it also establishes five major activity systems: role-play and communication, construction and space, visual and art, science and teaching, and nature and technology. These systems encompass over 300 types of activities, covering key developmental stages for children aged 3 to 14.
Staff at the bank’s toy library explain that, unlike “academic” early childhood education, its teaching team mainly consists of teachers, postgraduates, and undergraduates specializing in toy design, industrial machinery, and teacher education, presenting a multi-level and “cross-disciplinary” profile. In terms of educational approach, it combines professional child intelligence development with toy design to nurture children’s imagination, creativity, and execution skills—turning textbooks into toys and learning into games. Specific course designs follow a graded education philosophy, selecting play props that match the developmental characteristics of children in different age groups from 3 to 14. For instance, for children aged 3–6, more than ten different types and shapes of toys are chosen to allow them to explore the world using suitable playthings; for children over 6, equipment with precise dimensions and solid structures is selected to facilitate repeated disassembly and reassembly, helping to develop their hands-on abilities. Through multiple approaches and new perspectives, the Guangdong Nanyue Bank toy library provides children with an experiential space for creation, communication, and collaboration. It is reported that from September 1 to December 31, parents can also make free reservations for their children to experience a session at the toy library.
Exclusive points system benefits both customers and the bank
For nearby customers, the toy library at Guangdong Nanyue Bank means more thoughtful and “unexpected” services, because such “advanced” educational activities are highly popular among urban parents. In the past, they often had to sign up for training classes or send their children to summer camps to access such opportunities, but now their neighborhood bank provides them—why not take advantage?
The bank is obviously also pleased to see parents visiting with their children, as this presents opportunities to develop potential customers and expand more services. Through the toy library, Guangdong Nanyue Bank not only offers non-financial services but also promotes its own financial products. For example, parents who sign up for the toy library can earn points when purchasing bank wealth management products or opening accounts and depositing money, which can be redeemed for subsequent toy education courses.
Stepping to the forefront, transforming into a comprehensive service provider
In fact, in recent years, with internet finance closing in, major banks have tried every possible means to seek transformation. The previous urgent expansion of physical branches has quietly shifted toward branch transformation. Distinctive physical service models such as coffee banks, flagship banks, and smart lightweight branches have emerged one after another. Industry insiders point out that this will usher in a new round of functional layouts, more reflected in a comprehensive service system that matches online channels characterized by networking, socialization, and digitalization. The toy library of Guangdong Nanyue Bank goes even further “downstream,” focusing on children, getting close to every family in the community, exploring potential life needs within the community, and integrating these into marketing activities. Its core lies in expanding the bank’s financial services into lifestyle services, bringing the bank from the background to the forefront, and digging deeper and broadening the development of community banks. Although this trend is not yet obvious at present, in the long run, its services and marketing methods will undergo comprehensive adjustments. Traditional banks must leverage their own strengths to achieve differentiated competition.
The practice of Guangdong Nanyue Bank’s toy library brings bank services into the community, but its potential for development doesn’t stop there. Officials from the bank stated that in the future, it will also expand into other child-related industry chains, ensure data support and market analysis, to further integrate into the bank’s financial services.