Overview

• Operated by an external firm, the shop launched on June 23 with about 20 items such as socks, T-shirts, thermoses and pens bearing the stylized federal eagle logo.
• In its first two days online, the store drew thousands of visits and orders, which BND spokesperson Martin Heinemann termed “enormous.”
• The initiative supports a broader recruitment drive targeting young talent, building on past campaigns that used bold posters to attract applicants.
• BND employees are advised not to wear branded merchandise in public to maintain the agency’s discretion.
• The agency employs roughly 6,500 staff who gather and analyze foreign security information for the German government.