A pop-up store opened to the public in March and April amongst the chic fashion stores and superb restaurants at Westfield Centro in Oberhausen, and what made it extra special was that it had nothing at all for sale. Instead, the store – run by the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) – attracted mainly younger visitors with a wealth of information on the wide range of military and civilian training and career opportunities in the armed services.

The promotion was part of an innovative recruitment strategy, indeed the Bundeswehr had already run a variety of pop-up stores across Germany, one of which had been in the Pasing Arcaden in Munich, and these were a great success. The store at Westfield Centro welcomed this exciting campaign for the first time to the state of North Rhine Westphalia.

Authentic advice and guidance

With camouflage-look partition walling and beanbags, military uniforms and miniature models of tanks, the Career Lounge on the ground floor of the popular shopping centre left no one guessing as to what this was all about. Real-life soldiers – male and female – answered visitors’ questions. As representatives of the German Armed Forces, they were able to report first-hand on their experiences and provide the young people with expert advice on training opportunities. Interest levels were high, in fact some people had even travelled specially for this reason.