LANDOVER, Md. — Giant Food here said last week that 54 in-store branches of Chevy Chase Bank, Bethesda, Md., will close with the end of a 10-year contract that expires in August. The branch closings will begin in August and will be planned in coordination with the management of Giant Food, the bank said in a statement. Giant Food said it will seek to replace the bank branches. The decision was made because customers have shown a preference for larger, traditional bank branches, said W. Scott McSween, Chevy Chase Bank’s executive vice president for its Retail Banking Division. He noted that in-store branches are viable channels for other institutions. “Chevy Chase Bank has the largest branch and ATM networks in the greater Washington market,” McSween said. “While our branches inside Giant Food stores are convenient, we are confident that we are able to provide our customers with the banking convenience they want and the personal service they need through our extensive network of traditional neighborhood branches. We have invested significantly in new branches in this marketplace over the years and plan to continue to open new branches to ensure that we have convenient options for our customers.”

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