PARIS – Markets and supermarkets in Paris are facing supply difficulties amid the intense cold wave and those in recent days. Extreme weather conditions directly affected food distribution logistics, causing delays in deliveries and reduced supply, especially of fresh products.
The disturbances began after the adoption of security measures that restricted the movement of heavy vehicles in dozens of French departments. Authorities have banned or limited truck traffic in several regions in response to the heightened risk on roads covered in snow and ice. The measure impacted the food supply chain, which depends mainly on road transport.
The effect was quickly felt at points of sale. Supermarkets did not receive deliveries in specific sectors, such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs, vegetables, fruits and vegetables. At the Carrefour chain, one of the largest in the country, posters were placed on empty shelves explaining the difficulty in maintaining the usual offer.
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In a statement reproduced by Reuters, the executive director of the Carrefour group, Alexandre Bompard, stated that the movement restrictions imposed during the climatic episode should generate temporary disruptions in supply chains, with a greater impact on fresh products.
The impact also reached the Rungis wholesale market, the main food distribution center in the Paris region. According to the French press, cancellations of departures and delays in the arrival of goods compromised the normal flow of products destined for Paris and neighboring cities, affecting both supermarkets and stallholders.
The expectation, according to the local press, is for supply to gradually normalize as transport restrictions are lifted and logistics resume operating at a regular pace.
After the snowfall that hit much of France on Wednesday, a new storm is expected in the region, with winds of up to 140 km/h.
