France Heatwave Sparks Supermarket Chaos After Hundreds Queue for Just Two Air Conditioners

As another heatwave approached France, shoppers queued outside supermarkets before dawn in the hope of buying discounted portable air conditioners, with some stores receiving so little stock that one branch had just two units available for hundreds of waiting customers.

Chaotic scenes were reported across parts of the country on Thursday after German discount retailer Lidl announced it would restock fans and air conditioners nationwide. Police were called to several stores after crowds surged into shops and fought over the limited supplies.

The rush to buy cooling equipment comes after France experienced an intense heatwave that brought temperatures above 40C in some areas. Weather forecasters have warned another spell of hot weather is expected over the weekend, prompting many households to try to secure cooling equipment ahead of rising temperatures.

Crowds Rush for Limited Stock

At a Lidl store in Nanterre, west of Paris, more than 100 people gathered before opening time, while another Lidl branch in the capital's 19th arrondissement drew a queue of about 200 people from as early as 7am, according to AFP reporters at the scene.

As staff opened the doors, the crowd surged forward, causing the glass entrance doors to collapse under the pressure.

The Lidl store in Paris's 19th arrondissement told waiting customers it had received just two air conditioners. One shopper told AFP she had arrived at 6.30am but was still only third in the queue, leaving with a small fan after the air conditioners sold out almost immediately.

Similar scenes were reported in Besançon, Sevran, Livry-Gargan and other suburbs around Paris. In Sevran, queues of vehicles reportedly stretched outside one Lidl store, temporarily blocking traffic through part of the town centre. Footage shared online showed several shoppers pulling at the same air conditioner while shouting at one another, as customers elsewhere were left empty-handed after supplies sold out within minutes.

Lidl France said it regretted the incidents and acknowledged staff had been forced to manage tensions in what it described as a difficult environment. The retailer said products such as air conditioners are ordered well in advance, meaning individual stores were limited by existing stock allocations.

Retailers Struggle to Meet Demand

Lidl said it had distributed around 200,000 fans, portable air conditioners and cooling products across its 1,600 stores in France. However, demand quickly exceeded the available stock at many locations.

According to market research company NielsenIQ, sales of fans and cooling equipment in France rose by around 1,500 per cent during the first major heatwave earlier this year.

Enrique Martinez, chief executive of French electronics retailer Darty, told BFM Business customers had been arriving outside stores from as early as 4am, with some disputes breaking out as demand exceeded supply. He said staff had worked to move as much stock as possible into warehouses.

Heatwave Fuels Cooling Demand

France has traditionally had lower household use of air conditioning than many other European countries because its summers were historically milder. However, increasingly frequent periods of extreme heat have driven demand for portable cooling units in recent years.

The latest rush on retailers comes after temperatures exceeded 40C in parts of France during the recent heatwave. Another spell of hot weather is forecast this weekend, and retailers are expected to face continued demand as households search for cooling equipment that remains in short supply across parts of France.