Shoppers Describe Crowded Stores in Latvia Ahead of Christmas

Unusually large numbers of shoppers in Latvian supermarkets have been widely discussed on social media in recent days. The news portal LA.LV reported on 14 November, citing comments from users of the social network Threads. The discussion comes at a time when rumours are also circulating online about a possible global cyberattack on 17 November.

How the discussion started

A Threads user named Mareks wrote ironically that people had been "knocking over" Maxima stores in recent days, and that it seemed the end of the world was approaching. In the comments, other users said they had seen large crowds at Alfa, Domina and Akropole stores as well.

What shoppers say

Many commenters said they were using the opportunity to buy Christmas gifts and festive decorations at a better price. One wrote that buying presents for children brought a good saving. Another shopper said she had bought gifts for her child and for friends' parties, along with holiday decorations.

Not everyone had a pleasant experience. One woman said that around 11 a.m. it was almost impossible to move through a shop with a pushchair and the queues were very long, so she bought nothing. Another commenter said she had not known about the discounts and had only popped in for everyday items, which she later regretted.

Rumours about 17 November

Online claims about the possible cyberattack say bank accounts could be emptied and the internet shut down for several months. There is no evidence for such claims, and the relevant authorities have not warned of any such threat. The source does not link the shopper surge to these rumours: commenters mainly cite Christmas shopping as the reason.