KBC Bank Ireland is planning to open “pop-up” outlets in shopping centres as part of a drive to increase retail sales of mortgages and savings, according to the bank’s new director of retail banking, Dara Deering.

The Belgian-owned bank has five Irish branches, which have focused up to now on corporate banking as the bank sells 90 per cent of its mortgages through brokers.

Ms Deering said the pop-up outlets would not handle cash or have a counter. KBC will move its existing branch in Cork to a new location this year, and will use this as an example to open other outlets.