With the pornography industry increasingly shifting online, some of Denmark’s best-known porno shops in Denmark are fighting for their survival.
Some 15 years ago there close to 30 porno shops in Copenhagen selling films and magazines, but now there are just seven left: six on Istedgade and one in Nørrebro.
“Just 10-20 years ago I was open from 9 am to 2 am, but it’s not worth opening those hours anymore,” an anonymous Istedgade porno shop owner told DR Nyheder.
“These days we get customers from 10 am to about 7 pm and I close around 8 pm. There were a lot more who watched films back then, but the internet has seen to that. And that’s reflected in the number of shops no longer in business.”
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Another casualty
Over the last 20 years customer profiles have developed to the point there are barely any customers left under the age of 40.
Arne Hansen, the owner of the last remaining porno shop in Nørrebro, has seen his customer base dwindle in recent years.
“We used to buy boxes when the really naughty porno magazines came out. And we sold boxes of them,” said Hansen. “But then sales began falling and we bought half boxes. Then quarter boxes and then five magazines. Now magazines are completely gone.”
“I’m about done too. I will see it through for this year, but I think I’ll call it a day within the next year.”
