People are hiding their most prized possessions in shoeboxes and even under their beds
Prize possessions range from whiskey collections and childhood teddy bears to wartime diaries
Metro Bank offers more than 6,000 safe deposit boxes in its two Welsh stores for customers to rent, offering proper security for prized possessions
New research from Metro Bank, conducted by YouGov(1), has revealed the extent to which people worry about their personal belongings.
With many flaunting their new gifts received from Christmas through the front windows, it’s no surprise that a quarter of British adults that say they have a prized possession – around 8 million people – are worried about losing their possessions as a result of theft.(2)
Alongside the one in four people who are worried about theft, more than three in 10 (31%) are worried about losing their prized possessions in a fire and nearly one in seven (15%) worry about their items being destroyed by water damage.
What precious items are people hiding?
When asked to choose their most prized possession from a list in the survey, there was much variety in the responses received. The most popular prized possession – named by almost one in ten (9%) – was a photo album, with wedding or engagement rings (8%) closely following behind.
When asked if there was anything else they see as a prized possession, some of the more surprising items include:
- Prized whiskey collections
- Items for practising witchcraft
- Childhood teddy bears
- Wartime diaries
- Fishing rods
- Vintage Star Wars collectibles
Where are Brits keeping their prized possessions?
More than a fifth of people in England (22%) keep their cherished item in a drawer or filing cabinet and for people in Wales this goes up to one third. Almost one in 10 (8%) keep their special belonging in the garage, loft and even in the shed. A small percentage of the country admitted that they keep their most treasured item under the bed (2%) or in a shoebox (2%). 38% of people say they only use their most prize possession once every six months or less.
Metro Bank offers safe deposit boxes in a range of sizes starting from just £20 a month(3). The boxes are available in each of the Bank’s 77 stores, including its two Welsh stores, giving customers unlimited access to their safe deposit boxes. These are available for long term or short term rental and provide proper security for people’s most prized possessions, whether that be jewellery, a stamp collection or confidential documents.
Jeremy Lawrey, Head of Retail Accounts and Partnerships, says: “Many will worry about the safety of our belongings, especially with the new gifts they received over the Christmas period. Whether your most cherished possession is an old family heirloom, a special piece of jewellery or even a passport or house deeds, our safe deposit boxes enable you to safely store your belongings in a secure environment.”
Metro Bank stores are open seven days a week(4), early until late and are renowned for their family and pet-friendly approach.
Metro Bank has two stores in Cardiff, on Queen Street and Newport Road. The stores have a combined total of over 6,000 safe deposit boxes, available to be reserved online through the Bank’s website: https://cp.metrobankonline.co.uk/depositboxes/main.
The Bank’s Newport Road store also offers a drive-thru banking experience, allowing customers to carry out contact-free essential banking needs from the comfort and safety of their cars.
All Metro Bank stores are operating alongside social distancing guidelines, with a number of health and safety measures in place to keep customers and colleagues safe.
(1) All research figures are from YouGov Plc.
(2)Total sample size was 2,043 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 3– 15 November 2020. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).
(3)More information is available on our website: https://www.metrobankonline.co.uk/safe-deposit-boxes/
(4)Some store opening times have been temporarily reduced during the pandemic. For a full list of Metro Bank stores see: https://www.metrobankonline.co.uk/store-locator/.
About Metro Bank
Metro Bank serves more than two million customer accounts and is celebrated for its exceptional customer experience. It is the highest rated high street bank for overall service quality, in store service, and online and mobile banking services for personal customers in the Competition and Market Authority’s Service Quality Survey in August 2020; the bank also ranked in the top two for overall service, store service and digital services for business customers. It was recognised as ‘Bank of the Year’ at the 2020 MoneyAge Awards.
The community bank offers retail, business, commercial and private banking services, and prides itself on giving customers the choice to bank however, whenever and wherever they choose, and supporting the customers and communities it serves. Whether that’s through its network of 77 stores open seven days a week, early until late, 362 days a year; on the phone through its UK-based 24/7 contact centres; or online through its internet banking or award-winning mobile app: the bank offers customers real choice.
Metro Bank PLC. Registered in England and Wales. Company number: 6419578. Registered office: One Southampton Row, London, WC1B 5HA. ‘Metrobank’ is the registered trademark of Metro Bank PLC.
It is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority. Most relevant deposits are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. For further information about the Scheme refer to the FSCS website www.fscs.org.uk.
All Metro Bank products are subject to status and approval.
Metro Bank PLC is an independent UK bank – it is not affiliated with any other bank or organisation (including the METRO newspaper or its publishers) anywhere in the world. Please refer to Metro Bank using the full name.
