Cyberattack affects seven Intermarché stores in Portugal

Seven Intermarché supermarkets in Portugal were affected by a cyberattack targeting refrigeration systems, after similar incidents were reported at retailers in several other European countries.

By Tereza Pedro, in News · 03 Nov 2026, 10:23 · 0 Comments

The Grupo Mosqueteiros, which operates the Intermarché brand in Portugal, confirmed that the incident affected seven stores. In a statement reported by RTP, the group said the attack appears to have targeted an external service provider responsible for managing the refrigeration systems. It did not identify the stores or the provider involved.

The systems affected control fridges and freezers used to keep food at safe temperatures. When refrigeration is disrupted, supermarkets may need to remove chilled and frozen products from sale, even if the equipment is restored quickly. In this case, APED, the Portuguese Association of Distribution Companies, told the Lusa news agency that three of the seven stores had suffered product losses. The affected goods are to be sent for destruction. The stores have remained open.

Grupo Mosqueteiros said it began working with the companies responsible for maintaining the equipment as soon as the problem was identified. The aim was to limit the impact and restore the affected systems. It also said the incident had not disrupted the supply chain and that hygiene and food safety conditions were being maintained. Those assurances came as APED reported losses at three stores, though it did not specify what products were affected or their value.

The Polícia Judiciária is investigating the incident, according to Rádio Renascença. The locations of the affected supermarkets have not been made public, and there is no confirmed information about who carried out the attack.

Portugal was among several countries reporting problems with supermarket refrigeration systems on Monday, 2 November. Retailers in Belgium, Sweden, Ireland and Luxembourg also reported incidents. In some cases elsewhere in Europe, temperatures in fridges and freezers rose sharply, forcing stores to discard or remove food from sale. The incidents have not been publicly linked to one another, and no one has claimed responsibility.

The latest cases follow a similar incident in France last month, when supermarkets reported that refrigeration equipment had been interfered with. The repeat incidents have drawn attention to the digital systems that allow refrigeration equipment to be managed remotely, and to the role of outside providers that maintain or monitor those systems.

For customers in Portugal, the confirmed impact is limited to seven Intermarché stores, with product losses reported at three. The chain has not disclosed which locations were affected.