A cyberattack on French supermarkets has reportedly sent refrigeration temperatures soaring to 50ºC, forcing stores to throw away fresh food, while a separate IT incident in the Netherlands and Belgium has left shoppers facing potentially incorrect prices on electronic shelf labels.
The incidents have raised questions about how vulnerable modern supermarkets are when the computer systems controlling everyday operations stop working.
At least 150 French supermarkets have reportedly been affected by the attack on refrigeration systems, including stores belonging to popular brands such as Intermarche and Super U. Other reports have also named Leclerc and Carrefour.
Hackers target supermarket refrigeration systems
The attack began overnight on Sunday, October 11, according to French media reports. Hackers reportedly accessed the systems controlling refrigeration equipment and altered settings, causing temperatures in some units to rise dramatically.
Food including meat, fish, dairy products and prepared meals was put at risk after the cold chain was broken. Supermarkets cannot simply put such products back on the shelves if their safety has been compromised, meaning large quantities may have to be destroyed. The financial damage could run into millions of euros once the value of discarded stock and the cost of repairing affected systems are included.
Schelcher, president of French retail group Cooperative U, confirmed on October 12 that a cyberattack had affected refrigeration installations at several stores in its network. The company said its teams were working with refrigeration specialists to restore normal operation. Investigations are expected to establish how the attackers gained access and whether other retailers face the same risk.
Dutch and Belgian shoppers face price confusion
A separate IT incident has disrupted supermarket services in the Netherlands and Belgium. Albert Heijn, one of the Netherlands’ largest supermarket chains, and its associated brands Etos and Gall & Gall reported problems affecting their websites, apps and customer services on October 12. The company temporarily switched off some systems to protect its IT infrastructure. Online grocery orders were suspended, while logistics operations were also affected.
Shoppers visiting stores faced another problem: electronic shelf labels were still displaying some previous promotional prices, even though the prices charged at the checkout reflected the current week’s offers.
Albert Heijn said its stores remained open and asked customers to keep receipts if they missed out on personal discounts. The company said affected customers would be compensated where appropriate. There is no confirmed evidence that this IT incident is connected to the French refrigeration attack.
Could Spanish supermarkets suffer the same fate?
The question for shoppers in Spain is whether similar disruption could happen here. Modern supermarkets increasingly rely on connected technology to control refrigeration, monitor temperatures, manage stock and update prices. If attackers gain unauthorised access to these systems, the consequences could extend beyond a website being unavailable.
Cybersecurity researchers at Claroty published research in August 2026 identifying vulnerabilities in Danfoss refrigeration controllers used in supermarkets and commercial cold-storage facilities. The researchers said the manufacturer had addressed the reported vulnerabilities in a firmware update. However, there is no confirmation that the French attack exploited those particular weaknesses, or that Spanish supermarkets have been affected by the incident.
Spain’s large supermarket chains also operate complex digital systems, but it is not yet clear which retailers use the specific equipment involved or whether any have introduced additional precautions following the French attack.
A successful attack on refrigeration controls could lead to food losses and disruption, while interference with electronic price labels could leave customers uncertain about the price they should pay.
For now, there is no confirmed report of a similar attack on Spanish supermarkets. Whether retailers here have checked their systems following the incidents in France, the Netherlands and Belgium remains an important question.