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  "path": "/2026/06/25/covid-style-queues-return-people-rush-buy-air-con-units-lidl-28923248/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-25T14:07:42.000Z",
  "site": "https://metro.co.uk",
  "tags": [
    "News",
    "UK",
    "Heatwave",
    "Lidl",
    "Hampshire",
    "News Updates",
    "Breaking News",
    "Follow Metro’s live heatwave coverage here",
    "Wiltshire",
    "social media",
    "check our news page",
    "Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source"
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  "textContent": "Long queues snarling back through the car park formed at Lidl Southampton as people battled to get their hands on a Tronic air conditioning unit (Picture: Samuel Williams/Solent News)\n\nPeople enduring the record-breaking heatwave tried to snatch a Lidl air conditioning unit, but several stores sold out quickly.\n\nShoppers are up in arms after failing to beat the rush to buy one of Lidl’s bargain air conditioning systems retailing for £149.\n\nLong queues were seen outside shops in Hampshire and Warwick despite the mind-numbing heat as temperatures soared to above 30C in the extreme heat area.\n\nCrowds wanted to secure one of the viral middle aisle units, Tronic-3-in-1, due to go out for sale today, but many were left empty-handed.\n\nA sign outside a Lidl store in Havent, Hampshire, saying they have sold out of fans and air con units (Picture: Tom Jackson/Solent News)\n\n##  Sign up for all of the latest stories\n\nStart your day informed with Metro's **News Updates** newsletter or get **Breaking News** alerts the moment it happens.\n\nThe portable home cooling system is designed to dehumidify and ventilate rooms.\n\nFollow Metro’s live heatwave coverage here\n\nShoppers at Lidl Hedge End in Hampshire waited in line in the sizzling heat, only to be told that the items were all gone.\n\nA Lidl branch in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, and Southampton are said to have sold out too.\n\nFrustrated shoppers claimed on social media that their stores had either not stocked the units or put them out a day before they were due to go out on sale.\n\nPOLL\n\nPoll\n\n### Are you thinking of buying air con because of this heatwave?\n\n  * Yes, definitelyCheck\n\n  * No, I can manage withoutCheck\n\n\n\n\nOne customer in Portishead alleged: ‘Well done Lidl, how to piss your customer off. Advertise the air conditioning units for sale from 25/6/26, and put them all out the day before. So many unhappy customers this morning, who got up early especially to buy them.’\n\nThere were also reports of people buying multiple units without being stopped.\n\nOne person said: ‘Got there 8:02 headed in and was still in stock HOWEVER people were buying multiple which meant the woman in front of me got the last one\n\n‘Wasted journey, greed and no policy for one per customer.\n\n‘Back to cooking it is.’\n\nAnother shopper said they had gone to the High Wycombe store today at 7.20am and were the first in the store.\n\nThey claimed that the manager said the store had not received any units, leaving ’50 angry customers.’\n\nMetro has approached Lidl for a comment.\n\n******Get in touch with our news team by emailing us atwebnews@metro.co.uk.******\n\n**For more stories like this,** check our news page.\n\nComment now Comments \nAdd Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source\n",
  "title": "Covid-style queues return after people rush to buy air con units from Lidl"
}