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Chaos erupts in French supermarkets over cheap air conditioners amid heatwave
🇰🇷 South Korea /Disasters & Emergencies

Chaos erupts in French supermarkets over cheap air conditioners amid heatwave

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Record heatwaves in France have led to a surge in demand for air conditioners, causing chaos in stores.
  • A discount supermarket chain offered air conditioners for about $310, a fraction of the usual price, leading to fights and long queues.
  • Despite environmental concerns, French consumers are increasingly buying cooling devices as temperatures rise.

France is grappling with a severe heatwave, and the desperate search for relief has turned chaotic. At a Lidl discount supermarket, shoppers clashed and shouted as they vied for air conditioners priced at just 179 euros (about $310). This price is a stark contrast to the usual market rate, which often exceeds 1,200 euros (about $2,110).

If you don't maintain order, we won't open the store.

— Store managerWarning to customers attempting to cut in line at a Lidl store.

The unusually low price triggered a frenzy, with some stores seeing physical altercations among customers. Police were called to at least two locations. Store managers warned they would close if order wasn't maintained, further escalating the tension. One employee revealed that only two units were delivered to some stores, leading to immense frustration for those who had waited for hours.

There were only two air conditioners delivered to the store.

— Store employeeExplaining the scarcity of the discounted air conditioners to AFP.

Moussa Traore, who waited over an hour at a Lidl in northern Paris, expressed his disappointment after learning only two units were available. "The police came and said there were no more left," he joked, adding that officers might have taken them. Another resident, Lassana, managed to buy one of the two units after a seven-hour wait, highlighting the extreme measures people took. Northern Paris, with its poorly insulated high-rise buildings, is particularly vulnerable to heat.

The police came and said there were no more left.

— Moussa TraoreDescribing the situation after waiting for over an hour at a Lidl store.

Despite a historical reluctance towards air conditioning due to environmental concerns, French attitudes are shifting. A survey indicated that 80% of French people believe air conditioners harm the environment. However, the relentless heat is driving a purchasing spree. Carrefour, another major supermarket chain, sold 30,000 cooling units by late afternoon on June 22, a figure its CEO described as 1,000 times the usual amount. The French Environment Agency (ADEME) projects the proportion of households with air conditioning to rise from 18% in 2023 to 24% by 2025.

I'm going to give up. This is crazy.

— LoloA local resident expressing frustration about the long queues and chaos.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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