Instead, the centers, known as an Occasio stores, from the Latin work meaning "favorable opportunity," will have teller "towers," where associates will work with the customers to complete their transaction on touch-screen computers. Also part of the design is a wide-screen TV; children's play area; and retail store with a selection of finance-related books, software and children's items. Eight employees staff the stores.

The Occasio stores will be built at: Mesa Spectrum and Superstition Springs in Mesa, Kierland Village and Scottsdale Ranch in Scottsdale, Mountainview Marketplace and Camelback Colonnade in Phoenix, 67th Avenue and Deer Valley Road and 59th Avenue and Beardsley Road in Glendale.

Washington Mutual plans to open as many as 40 Occasio stores in the Valley during the next 18 months. The company found a warm response from the public last year when it introduced the concept in Las Vegas. The company found that 79% of their customers preferred it to a traditional bank and 87% said they would recommend it to someone.

Washington Mutual is one of the largest financial institutions in the country, with more than 2,000 offices nationwide. At year-end 2000 the company reported consolidated assets of $195 billion.