40 Belgian Supermarkets Hit by Cyber-Attack Disabling Freezers

Dozens of grocery chains across Belgium, Sweden, and Ireland experienced a suspected cyber-attack on November 2, 2026, that disrupted their refrigeration systems. The incident forced stores to close temporarily and resulted in the disposal of significant quantities of perishable goods.

In Belgium, approximately 40 Delhaize locations and 15 Carrefour stores reported the outage. Delhaize, a major domestic retailer, described the event as a computer incident that occurred overnight. Carrefour, a French-owned chain, stated it was currently analyzing the situation at the affected sites.

Sweden’s ICA and Coop chains were also impacted. ICA confirmed the attack hit a small number of stores operating outside its central network. A specific ICA branch in Sjöbo, southern Sweden, posted on social media that hackers had set its freezers to 50 degrees Celsius. The store closed earlier in the day but has since reopened for customers.

Seventy percent of Sweden’s Coop stores remained unaffected, with the company telling the BBC that the situation at the seven impacted locations is contained and under control. In Ireland, thirteen SuperValu shops joined the list of affected retailers.

Local media reported that thousands of euros worth of food had to be thrown away. This event follows a similar incident last month that affected hundreds of French supermarkets. It is not yet clear who is behind the current attack.