Bundeswehr opens an online shop – and the camo rubber duck sold out fast

Ever wanted a rubber duck in camouflage holding an assault rifle? Since Thursday, you can try. The Bundeswehr, Germany's armed forces, has opened its official online shop.

The duck was gone shortly after the launch.

What's in the shop?

The range includes caps, hoodies, tools and everyday items, all printed with "Bundeswehr" or the Iron Cross, the military's emblem. There are also some quirkier products. One is a bar of whole-milk chocolate, described as having a "melt-in-the-mouth texture and no frills".

Then there's the star of the show: a camo rubber duck holding the G95, the armed forces' new assault rifle. It sold out soon after sales began. The shop itself was hard to reach too, and often failed to load, with a note about "high demand".

The ministry stresses that these are merchandise, meaning fan and marketing items. They are not meant to be worn with or on the uniform.

Why is the Bundeswehr doing this?

Defence Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) says the shop helps the military become "more visible and approachable". In his words, it lets the Bundeswehr carry its brand to places where classic advertising doesn't reach. He added that the force is more firmly rooted in society again, and that people who feel connected to the troops now have a new way to show it.

The sales run through a licensee, which acts on behalf of the Bundeswehr's employer brand and in agreement with it. The model isn't new: the Federal Intelligence Service, the BND, already runs its own BNDShop with collectibles.

And the criticism?

The Left Party (Die Linke) in the Bundestag, Germany's parliament, wasn't amused. Its parliamentary group leader Sören Pellmann said before launch that when the party demanded the Bundeswehr leave schools, it certainly didn't mean carrying its advertising into toddlers' bathtubs.

He called rubber ducks with assault rifles "an inappropriate trivialisation" of the risky job soldiers do.

What's next?

For now, the shop is online, and the duck is the item to watch. Whether it comes back in stock hasn't been announced.