Air conditioners on the market rarely retail for less than 1,200 EUR (1,400 USD). This high cost drove many people to Lidl supermarkets, seeking basic models priced at 179 EUR. The intense demand led to police intervention at at least two stores.
On the morning of 2/7, Mousa Traore joined 200 customers who waited for over an hour at a small Lidl branch. "Staff announced only two units were available in the warehouse, police arrived, and everything quickly disappeared," Mousa stated.
Meanwhile, Lasana patiently waited from 4h and secured one of the last two air conditioners. His residential area in northern Paris, characterized by poorly insulated high-rise buildings, becomes an oven each summer.
The buying frenzy erupted after the French Meteorological Agency forecast a new heatwave for the end of the week. Memories of late June's record high temperatures, which caused a surge in mortality, overwhelmed the healthcare system, and forced school closures, spurred residents to action.
 |
Residents in Paris examine fans and air conditioners at a home appliance store during a heatwave on 28/5. Photo: Reuters
Fearing a repeat of the dire situation, 69-year-old Fatou waited for 6 hours, even praying on the spot. Despite being third in line, she reluctantly left with only an electric fan.
Few households and schools in France have air conditioning installed.
Recent research indicates that 50% of homes lack adequate insulation for high temperatures. These apartments become "furnaces" during unusual heatwaves exacerbated by climate change.
Frustrated by the scarcity, many customers outside the store in the 19th district voiced their complaints. Fatou and hundreds of others accused Lidl of deceptive advertising, exploiting consumer desperation.
The crowd initially remained calm, but arguments and clashes erupted when individuals attempted to cut in line.
Inside, a female manager loudly demanded the crowd disperse before opening the store. Another employee disclosed that the warehouse had only received two units and refused to confirm transaction details.
The chaos spread as hundreds converged on a supermarket in Sevran. The long line of waiting cars caused traffic congestion in the center of the impoverished northern Paris suburb.
A similar scene unfolded in the nearby suburb of Livry-Gargan.
Lolo, a local resident, had to abandon his car several streets away and walk to the parking lot. "This is insane; the endless line of people completely blocked the parking area, rendering any attempt to shop utterly hopeless," he said.
This buying spree contrasts sharply with long-held French skepticism. Previous surveys indicated that 80% of residents once viewed air conditioners as environmentally harmful.
However, continuously breaking temperature records swiftly altered this perspective, leading to cooling products selling out.
On 22/6, the Carrefour hypermarket chain sold 30,000 cooling products in a single day. Chief Executive Officer Alexandre Bompard confirmed this figure was a thousand times higher than normal levels.
This trend is evident in statistics from the State Environmental Agency Ademe, showing the percentage of households using air conditioning increased from 18% in 2023 to 24% in 2025.
Minh Phuong (According to France24)
