By AARON RICCA

KINGMAN – Like the way of the book store, banks are closing their brick-and-mortar locations.

As of Aug. 8, befuddled customers were still pulling on the locked doors of the Bank of America at 2307 Stockton Hill Road.

The banking giant closed the location July 31. The ATM was still operating, but a closer look through the glass doors revealed an empty shell of what was once the one of the busiest banks in Kingman.

“We began notifying customers using this location of its closure back in April,” said Colleen Haggerty, Senior Vice President of Media Relations for Bank of America. “While the decision to close a financial center is a difficult one, it is driven primarily by changing banking behaviors as more clients have adopted our online and mobile banking offerings because of the convenience they provide.”

Customers can still access accounts and make deposits at the ATM that will remain open at the location, as well as through mobile and online banking, or at other locations in Bullhead City, Lake Havasu City and Laughlin. The closure does not impact automatic deposits or bill pay withdrawals.

Haggerty wouldn’t disclose how many employees were laid off or relocated, but the company will work to help place employees impacted by closures or consolidations in similar level roles within the company and offer severance for those eligible.

Bank of America owns the now vacant building and upon full decommission of the property will be listed for sale.

The downtown Wells Fargo closed June 13. Their customers still have two Kingman branches to bank at, inside Smith’s at 3490 Stockton Hill Road and next to Safeway at 3940 Stockton Hill Road.

CLOSED FOR BUSINESS: A sign announcing the closure was placed on the Kingman Bank of America building in July. AARON RICCA/The Bee