German retailers boost cooling solutions amid extreme heat wave

Mediamarkt launched a climate‑action campaign targeting the weekend heat wave that pushed temperatures to as high as 41 °C in parts of Germany. The promotion groups fans, portable air‑conditioners and air‑purifiers and encourages customers to pick up items in store, shortening delivery times and mitigating stock shortages.

Supermarket chains such as Rewe, Kaufland, Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd reported empty refrigerated aisles as their cooling systems strained under the same high temperatures. Retailers say they have pre‑emptively cleaned heat exchangers, deployed expert teams that can remotely monitor equipment, and can dispatch technicians quickly. Kaufland upgrades roughly 60 cooling installations each year to handle higher heat, while all chains stress that they can relocate goods to rear‑area cooling zones if needed, aiming to keep supply reliable during prolonged heat waves.