Øster Tørslev finds a new grocer through reality-style search

A village north of Randers has found a new shopkeeper after launching an unconventional recruitment campaign on Facebook, DR reports.

Residents of Øster Tørslev joined forces to buy the village’s former grocery store after its Spar shop closed in the spring. They then posted a video presenting their search as a reality-style concept called “Village seeks grocer”.

The campaign has led to the appointment of Thomas Dalsgaard Ettrup. “It’s a perfect match. We share the goal of developing the whole area and making the business secure and sustainable for the future,” he said.

The search was conducted with Dagrofa, the food group behind Spar. Its national sales manager, Martin Korsholm, said the campaign reached a wider audience than usual and attracted more applicants, including several strong candidates.

Local residents have renovated the store, which they bought through a company, and hope to open it in late November. Dagrofa says it has helped local organisers open more than 120 community-supported shops in rural areas since 2016.