A familiar site since it first hit the streets in 1985, Den Blå Avis will no longer be published as a physical newspaper following this Christmas season.
Ebay, the owner of the paper, said the hardcopy of the newspaper is simply no longer turning a profit.
The company blamed the falling circulation and more and more advertisers choosing not to use the newspaper as the main reasons for its decision.
Digital delights
Meanwhile, the online version – dba.dk – is going great guns.
READ MORE: Tabloid's online profit a media first
“Danes contact each other directly via mobile phones and tablets, and seconds later they have decided what they want to buy or sell,” eBay chief officer Morten Hueing told Jyllands-Posten.
“It is a natural evolution of the market.”
Newspaper gave it a good try
Hueing said that the plan to close the newspaper had been in the works for a while, but the team there tried to prove that it could remain viable in today’s digital world. That plan failed.
“The management and team delivered an excellent effort, but it just didn’t work.”
All about the web now
The web version, dba.dk, has exploded since eBay took over the paper in 2008.
There were 3 million items traded on the website in its first year. This year, that number is expected to reach 15 million.
Heuing said the money saved by shutting down the physical paper will be used to develop and improve apps and mobile solutions for the digital operations.
“Danes are very open to new technology,” said Heuing. “We will invest in new technology for the Danish market that we can then use in other countries."
