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Pharmacies, opticians and other retailers across Europe are struggling to keep protective eclipse glasses in stock as demand surges ahead of Wednesday's rare total solar eclipse.
In Spain, where parts of the country will be in the path of totality—the zone where the eclipse will be seen in its entirety—finding certified protective glasses has become increasingly difficult, with many distribution points reporting they have run out. A notice posted at the entrance of Madrid's National Museum of Natural Sciences said its supply of protective glasses was exhausted.
The museum was among 30 science institutions across the country taking part in a campaign organized by the government to distribute two million pairs of glasses for free.
Some pharmacies in central Madrid still had supplies Tuesday, generally selling certified glasses for safely viewing the sun for between three and four euros a pair.
But Carles Sisquella, who runs an optical shop in Barcelona, said his store had been out of stock for 10 days. "There are now a lot of people who obviously won't be able to get glasses," he said.
Doctors warn that looking directly at the sun during a solar eclipse can damage the retina, potentially harming the cells responsible for sharp central vision. "I've been asking around since Friday, but they're nowhere to be found," a woman named Mabel stated after another fruitless search.
French supermarket chain Carrefour's Spanish unit said demand for eclipse glasses has "grown exponentially," increasing twentyfold in recent days compared with the same period last month.
The rush is being repeated across Europe. In Brussels, where about 90% of the sun will be covered by the moon, people were also racing to find glasses.
With a seeming majority of opticians and pharmacists out of stock, pastry chef Arno Dossogne, 37, struck gold at a small opticians' store that received a last-minute shipment Monday afternoon. "I got some for me and a couple of friends whose online order got canceled!" he said. "It was this or nothing. You can't mess around, or you'll burn your eyes."
The optician's manager, Fouad Mehdaoui, said he acted on a tip from his pharmacist wife by ordering large batches of glasses early on. Even then, demand outpaced his supply. "Two boxes just came in with 100 pairs total, and they were gone in 30 minutes," he stated. Meanwhile, a steady stream of eclipse enthusiasts filed into the store by chance or word of mouth, and an employee fielded non-stop phone inquiries.
In France, where the eclipse will be partial, some pharmacies have been completely stripped of their stock. Others were still receiving shipments and charging significantly higher prices.
On Monday afternoon, customers lined up outside La Pharmacie du Soleil in Paris to buy glasses for €5.95 ($6.50) a pair. They were left disappointed when staff displayed an empty box.
The pharmacist asked customers to check back later, noting that another shipment of 500 pairs was expected that evening. "Come back in an hour or tomorrow morning," he told them. "It's pure madness."
Philippe Besset, president of France's Federation of Pharmaceutical Trade Unions, said demand far exceeded expectations. A few months ago, suppliers offered pharmacies around 200 pairs each—enough to equip about four million people. "But obviously more people want to watch the eclipse," he said.
Marine Tondelier, leader of France's Green Party, accused the government of failing to prepare for the eclipse, calling the rush for glasses a "fiasco." She contrasted it with the 1999 eclipse, when authorities distributed more than 30 million approved glasses nationwide.
In Rome, Claudia Rinaldi of eyewear shop Vision Optika said their first batch of glasses "sold out almost immediately." Her store hoped to receive a second shipment by Wednesday morning, with customers already calling to check availability.
The widespread shortage prompted eye specialists to warn people against buying uncertified alternatives. In Spain, authorities withdrew six models from the market on Monday due to the risk of eye injuries.
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