Supermarket freezer attacks spread to Belgium and Sweden

Supermarket freezer attacks have spread from France to Belgium, Luxembourg and Sweden, with overnight incidents on 1–2 November 2026 causing sudden temperature rises in dozens of store refrigeration systems.

In Belgium and Luxembourg, Delhaize reports about 40 stores affected by an “IT incident” disrupting fridges and freezers, while Carrefour Belgium had 15 stores impacted but all remained open; Spar outlets under Colruyt Group saw five stores affected, with smaller Proxy Delhaize and Shop & Go outlets also reported. In Sweden, ICA noted a limited number of stores outside its central network were affected, and Coop reported six or seven of its roughly 800 stores were impacted but said the situation was contained.

An unnamed Estonian grocery chain was also cited by its refrigeration technology supplier as experiencing temperatures set to 50°C. One Delhaize store in Hoeilaart estimated €100,000 in lost produce, with other losses from closures cited in Stockholm and southern Swedish towns Sjöbo and Tomelilla.

What happened inside the cooling systems remains unclear, but the clearest technical account comes from Belgium: Sabcobel, the refrigeration contractor for Delhaize, said evaporators were switched into defrost mode and technicians were dispatched from about 1 a.m. In Sweden, at least one ICA store reported the fridge and freezer temperatures had been “hacked” to 50°C, with other outlets noting similar setpoints to the French attack.

Authorities and retailers have not named specific controller brands; Belgium’s Sabcobel described the events as a cyberattack, while Ahold Delhaize calls it an IT incident under investigation. Sweden’s national cybersecurity centre and Belgium’s Sabcobel have signalled ongoing scrutiny, with ICA and Coop confirming overnight refrigeration incidents. The incidents are being treated as suspected cyberattacks rather than confirmed attribution, with no group currently claimed responsibility.