The list of items available at supermarkets today seems to expand exponentially. If you're going to the Publix at Doral Plaza, you can now include on your grocery list--along with such old standbys as milk and coffee--mortgages and car loans.

You can thank NationsBank for these new amenities--they opened an in-store operation there, at the Publix, on December 11th, 1999. It was the first such facility in Doral.

Manager Terri Giles looks at this approach to banking as the wave of the future.

"It's a one-stop shopping concept," she explained. "You can get your groceries and do your banking at the same time. We handle everything that a traditional bank branch handles, and we do so with safety, convenience, and flexibility. You get the services you expect from a bank, without having to wait in a long line. We're here to see to all of your banking needs."

This "Banking Center", as it is officially designated by NationsBank, is open Mondays through Saturdays from 10 AM to 8 PM. and Sundays from noon to 5 PM. It is staffed by a four-member team who are available throughout business hours, and its two ATMs, which are all located inside Publix, are in operation whenever the store itself is open.

"A lot of women, in particular, prefer banking in here," explained Giles, "because they feel safer and like the fact that there are a lot of people around."

In-store banking in essence is self-service banking, with personalized customer service offered for use whenever necessary. Do you need cash, want to make a deposit or wonder what your current savings balance is? At the banking center, the ATMs are designed to handle such routine matters.

But suppose your ATM card expires or gets lost, what to do then? It's easy--one of the bankers on staff will cancel it instantly, order a replacement for you on the spot, and arrange a cash withdrawal as necessary.

They can even assist you with opening an account, obtaining a credit card or applying for a car loan or a mortgage.

The banking center is a small and informal space--just the ATMs and a single office with a desk and a couple of chairs. Because of the initial success of the facility however, a new service counter is already being planned.

The area is above all approachable, clearly designed to invite customers who may be grocery shopping to stop in and ask a question or flag a problem.

"We call our clients by their first name, and we keep detailed profiles of them, in order to be responsive to their needs," Giles remarked. "Still, some people don't know what the in-store bank is all about, so we try to get out there and let people know we're here to help. We devote special effort to building partnerships with neighborhood businesses."

Giles is quick to point out that the convenience of in-store banking, with its' extended hours, stretches across a broad spectrum. In the case of real estate, the banking center can not only process a mortgage loan application at an odd hour.