Trust stands trend emerges in Denmark as community embraces social trust

Across Denmark, an emerging summer trend known as “trust stands” is gaining traction, where items like pants priced at 25 kroner and jackets for 50 kroner are left unattended outside homes and buildings, relying on the integrity of passersby to make payments.

Peter Thisted Dinesen, a researcher in social trust at the University of Copenhagen, notes the high level of trust required for this practice. He explains that while buyers could easily cheat the system, the expectation is that they won’t, showcasing what researchers call generalized social trust.

One of the proponents of this trend is Natasha Kimak, who sells used items outside her home to help her son earn extra pocket money. She reports minimal incidences of theft and believes it’s an effective way to generate income.

In Rudkøbing on Langeland, Valle Hansen turns his hobby of drawing into sales outside his house. He views this activity as a way to enhance the charm of the town and appreciates the increase in similar local trade. Hansen’s artwork, inspired by the butterfly studies of H.C. Ørsted, adds a cultural touch to his sales.

Both Kimak and Hansen share a sentiment of mutual trust in their exchanges, believing that showing trust leads to trust in return. Dinesen reflects on this phenomenon as a modern urban take on Denmark’s traditional culture of trust, akin to the classic unattended strawberry stands where customers leave money in an honesty box.

While trust levels have diminished in countries like the USA and many southern European nations, Denmark’s trust has only grown, with Dinesen asserting that the nation has become a world leader in social trust, closely followed by other Nordic countries.