Man pays for stranger’s groceries in Danish supermarket with one condition: pay it forward

A 43-year-old man covered a 19-year-old woman’s 200 kroner grocery bill at a Rema 1000 supermarket in Billum, west Jutland, after noticing her struggling with a failed MobilePay transaction, Danish broadcaster DR reports.

Michael Willadsen told Sif Kølle he would pay for her items on one condition: that she later do something kind for someone else. Kølle shared the encounter in a local Facebook group, where it drew hundreds of reactions, with many calling it a gesture of “good karma” and “great style.”

Researcher Nanja Holland Hansen, a psychologist specializing in compassion and mental health at Steno Diabetes Center, told DR the act illustrates how small acts of kindness can strengthen social bonds. “We discover that we depend on each other,” she said, noting that such actions reduce stress, increase a sense of purpose, and improve mental well-being for both giver and receiver.

Kølle described the moment as deeply moving, while Willadsen downplayed his role, saying only, “Now she can do something good for someone else one day.” Kølle responded, “I promise. I’ve experienced it myself now—I know how much it can mean.”