Bundeswehr online shop sells out camouflage rubber duck with assault rifle

Launch and sell-out

The Bundeswehr, Germany's armed forces, opened its own online shop on Thursday, 12 November, the day of the army's 71st anniversary. The range runs from baseball caps and hoodies to flashlights, carabiners, a milk chocolate bar and a teddy bear in a camouflage hoodie. The item that drew the most attention is a rubber duck in camouflage print, dressed in uniform and holding the new G95 assault rifle. It is 10 centimetres long, weighs 20 grams and costs 9.99 euros. Within hours of the launch the site was overloaded and at times could not be reached.

By Friday, 13 November, the product page showed the duck as sold out. The shop's team wrote that its warehouses were empty and that it was already working to order more stock. Sales are run by a licensed partner acting on behalf of the Bundeswehr's employer brand. The army is following the lead of the intelligence service BND, which had already opened its own online shop, BNDShop, aimed at collectors and enthusiasts.

Recruitment push

The shop is part of a wider effort to make the army more visible to the public. Germany wants the largest conventional army in the European Union, raising troop numbers from 186,200 today to 260,000 by 2035, according to El País. Defence minister Boris Pistorius has said he is optimistic about covering personnel needs without making the new voluntary service model compulsory, a model that began operating at the start of the year. Applications for conscientious objection have risen considerably in Germany over the same period. Pistorius said the shop offers a way to carry the brand to places where traditional advertising does not reach.

Current (El País)186,200

Target for 2035260,000

Current (El País)

186200 soldiers

Target for 2035

260000 soldiers

Data from the article text

Pistorius also argued that many people understand what the armed forces are for. The ministry stresses that the products are merchandise or fan articles and are not meant to be worn with the uniform. In its own words, the shop is meant to make the Bundeswehr more visible and approachable in everyday life, on the running track and in the office.

“Our Bundeswehr protects our external security, and with it our way of living in freedom.”

Criticism and the business model

Die Linke, the left party, criticised the launch before sales started. Its Bundestag parliamentary group leader, Sören Pellmann, said the party's demand to keep the army out of schools had never meant bringing military advertising into toddlers' bathtubs. He called the sale of duck toys with assault rifles an inappropriate trivialisation of the risky work soldiers do. Commentary online split along familiar lines: some found the Iron Cross on everyday objects in poor taste, others accused the government of selling items aimed at children, and others saw a step toward an ordinary employer image that could attract recruits.

According to Der Tagesspiegel, the Bundeswehr earns no revenue from sales. Five euros from each purchase go to the Bundeswehr-Sozialwerk, which has supported soldiers and their families since 1960. The price range was deliberately wide, with the emphasis on everyday products rather than luxury goods. The mix of chocolate, toys and tools is designed to reach people who would not otherwise encounter the army in daily life.