Danish border shop Otto Duborg to close after decades in operation

The Otto Duborg border shop near the Danish-German frontier will shut its doors on 11 June, ending an era for a business that has served cross-border customers for generations, Danish broadcaster DR reports.

Fleggaard, a competing border retailer already operating a location 600 metres away, has acquired the premises and will reopen the site under its own brand on 26 June. The 50 employees currently working at Otto Duborg will transfer to the new Fleggaard outlet.

The closure announcement, posted on Otto Duborg’s Facebook page, triggered a final rush of shoppers drawn by clearance discounts of up to 50 percent. Natasha Lukina Pedersen, who visited with her mother-in-law, called the shop’s closure “sad,” praising its wide selection and welcoming atmosphere.

Longtime customer Kim Uth Jensen described the store as a childhood staple, recalling family trips where he was “dragged in by his parents.” He admitted frustration over the shutdown, citing its unique stock of drinks like Red Bull that he could not find elsewhere. “There’s a wave of nostalgia hitting me,” he said.

Even regulars at other border shops made impromptu stops. Harly Kampmann and his wife, who had already spent over 1,000 kroner at a different retailer, detoured for the sale after spotting the discount sign outside. “Now we’re buying a bit too much,” Kampmann acknowledged, “but that’s what happens.”

For decades, shops like Otto Duborg have catered to Danish travellers stocking up on candy, soda, and discounted goods before or after crossing into Germany—a ritual for both holidaymakers and locals making weekly runs.