Deputy Delphine Batho announced Friday she had reported Lidl to fraud authorities, accusing the chain of intentionally organizing store tensions through misleading advertising on air conditioners.
Generation Ecology deputy Delphine Batho filed a report with fraud authorities. She accuses Lidl of presenting a mobile air conditioner for 179 euros as a promotion, when the product had been sold cheaper before. The chain responded that the devices were sold at the usual price and denied any exceptional promotion.
At dawn on Thursday, the nationwide sale of 200,000 air conditioners triggered rushes in about thirty stores out of more than 1,500. Police intervened in some cases to manage crowds. Lidl deleted a social media post showing a Game of Thrones battle scene.
Lidl France president John Paul Scally called for responsibility and mutual respect. Unions denounced a lack of anticipation that endangered staff during the heatwave.