Citibank opening offices in LV Kinko's

Citibank, which already has five Las Vegas branches, announced a deal Wednesday to open as many as five more offices this summer at Kinko's shops in the city.

The first opens in July at the Kinko's at 4750 W. Sahara. The concept of Citibanks in Kinko's was recently tested in Las Vegas with favorable results, the partners said.

"We were impressed by the amount of new business we attracted during two brief concept trials at Kinko's locations in Las Vegas," said Steve Liguori, head of Citibank's U.S. branch banking business. "We believe that by teaming with a premier retailer like Kinko's, with its strong presence in the top U.S. markets, we can offer Citibank's services in new areas of the country.

"And Kinko's tends to attract the same types of people who find Citibank's services appealing -- people in small businesses and people who are comfortable with computers and technology in general," he said in a statement.

Citibank spokesman Mark Rodgers said Las Vegas was chosen to test the concept because its moderate size makes it easy to measure results; and because of its high growth and high potential.

Rodgers said tentative plans call for the bank to staff each of the Kinko's offices with about five employees. They will be open Monday-Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

The offices are not branches, and will be called "sales and information sites." They will include Citibank ATMs that can accept deposits, and demonstrations of Citibank products like PC banking and remote bill payment. Information and applications will be available for personal and small business accounts. Account applications will be forwarded to the nearest regular Citibank branch.

The new Las Vegas offices are part of a one-year pilot that could later be expanded through Kinko's network of more than 880 stores in eight nations. As many as three more Citibanks will open in Kinko's in other cities, which have yet to be identified.

"We're especially excited about working with the country's best known brand in banking," said Kinko's marketing executive Ellen Turner. "This alignment of two leading brands, with a shared commitment to technological innovation and access and exceptional customer service, will further strengthen our relationship with customers and help us to create distinctive, value-added programs for them."

Citibank is the nation's second largest bank and is the main unit of Citicorp, which has 3,400 locations in 100 nations. Citicorp is merging with insurance giant Travelers Group Inc.

Citibank joins several other Las Vegas banks in turning to a retail partner to expand without building expensive standalone branches. Other local banks with in-store branches -- Bank of America, Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank and Nevada State Bank -- typically partner with grocery stores.

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