France Faces Widespread Shortage of Portable Air Conditioners During Third Heatwave

Overview

• Stores and many online sellers were sold out as a third spell of extreme heat hit on Monday and delivery times stretched into late summer.
• Retailers say winter orders based on normal forecasts were overwhelmed by unusually early demand from repeated heatwaves that exhausted inventories by June.
• The government and health institutions ordered tens of thousands of units to equip hospitals and care homes, which further reduced retail availability.
• Resellers are buying stock and relisting units at higher prices on marketplaces, and a Que Choisir review found average prices rose about 22% in four weeks.
• Most portable units are made in Asia and ship by sea with 6–10+ week lead times, so only expensive air freight could speed restocking and would likely triple retail prices, leaving low‑income and elderly households most exposed.