Several Richmond businesses were blown away by the number of fans being sold over the past couple of days as temperatures soared across the province.
The heat wave had many people scrambling to purchase whatever fans and air conditioning units they could find in Richmond.
All the Staples locations in the city were sold out of fans as early as Saturday.
A Staples employee told the Richmond News that while customers could still order online, they would have to wait for shipping at this time.
London Drugs said they are “experiencing increased demand” for fans with none available for purchase in-store at the moment.
“Our distribution centre is working to have stock replenished in stores as soon as possible,” read an email from London Drugs.
It added that stores in Richmond may see additional stock in the next day or two.
The News has also reached out to Best Buy and Costco, but did not hear back before publication.
Some people have taken advantage of the desperate need for anything that will help keep people cool at home, and have listed fans and air conditioning units for sale online.
On Craigslist, a listing shows an AC unit being sold for $2,800, when a new one sells for $1,450 online.
Meanwhile, many B.C. residents booked hotel stays to escape the debilitating heat.
Hotels such as The Burrard, Sandman Hotel Group and Fairmont Hotel Vancouver all told Business in Vancouver that they received many calls for bookings on Monday morning.
They added that they reached their capacity to accommodate guests with the number of staff they have working.
-With files from Glen Korstrom/BIV
