Necva Tastan Sevinc
27 June 2026•Update: 27 June 2026
France's prolonged heat wave has triggered chaotic scenes at stores across the country, with shoppers rushing to buy discounted air conditioners, leading to fights and injuries, French media reported.
The most serious incident occurred on Thursday during the opening of a new Action discount store in the La Défense business district near Paris, where hundreds of customers gathered before opening in hopes of purchasing a Kinzo air conditioner priced at €179 (about $203).
According to local media reports and videos shared on social media, some customers forced their way into the store when the doors opened, rushing toward the air conditioner section.
Several people were reportedly injured in the scramble after being pushed or struck by other shoppers while trying to reach the appliances.
Similar scenes were reported elsewhere in the country.
In Chambray-les-Tours in central France, shoppers were filmed pushing and shoving each other as they raced to buy air conditioners and fans after a store opened. Comparable incidents were also reported in Concarneau in Brittany and the western city of Angers.
The buying frenzy comes as France continues to endure an exceptional heat wave, with temperatures exceeding 40C (104F) in some regions and placing hospitals and emergency services under severe pressure.
Alexandre Bompard, chief executive of supermarket chain Carrefour, said the retailer sold at least 30,000 fans and air conditioners in a single day this week – around 1,000 times more than on a typical day.
Online retailer Amazon also reported that sales of cooling devices nearly doubled last week compared with the same period a year earlier.
