This study focuses on differences in place image formation between cross‐border shoppers who visit the bazaar in the Polish part of the border‐crossing town of Frankfurt–Oder/Słubice. By examining the German–Polish border context and the historical and regional particularities of this shopping destination, our qualitative analysis reveals differences in place image formation between two groups of German border crossers: locals from Frankfurt–Oder and visitors from other parts of the borderland. It turns out that the locals regarded the border‐crossing town as part of daily life and had lost interest in the bazaar, while cross‐border shoppers from further afield visited the bazaar regularly, were motivated by leisure, and assessed the bazaar more positively. These differences in place image formation between the two groups resulted from differences in mind‐set and motivation, influencing not only the knowledge and experiences of the border crossers, but also the likelihood of visiting this specific shopping destination again.