Marks & Spencer’s chief executive, Stuart Machin, has expressed apologies to customers for the inconvenience caused by a cyber attack that has led to the temporary closure of the retailer’s online operations. Machin assured that the company is tirelessly working to address the issue, although no specific timeline for the resumption of normal business activities was provided. Reports of disruptions to services, including Click & Collect and contactless payments, emerged over the Easter weekend, prompting M&S to suspend online orders via its website and apps after confirming a “cyber incident”.
The impact of the cyber attack on M&S has been significant, given that online transactions contribute to about a third of the company’s clothing and home sales. On average, daily spending on clothing and home products through its digital platforms amounts to £3.8 million. The repercussions have extended to physical stores, with some experiencing food shortages as the retailer took certain systems offline in response to the attack. Moreover, the functioning of M&S’s loyalty program and gift card payments has been disrupted as well. M&S is not alone in facing cyber threats, as other retailers like the Co-op and Harrods have also fallen victim to similar incidents.
The British Retail Consortium’s chief executive, Helen Dickinson, expressed concerns over the recent wave of cyber attacks targeting retailers. Dickinson emphasized the vulnerability of major retail establishments to such threats, attributing it to their high-profile nature and extensive digital infrastructure. She acknowledged the unease experienced by both customers and businesses due to these incidents, highlighting the complex systems that underlie retail operations and make them susceptible to cyber breaches. Despite the challenges posed by the cyber attacks, Dickinson noted that affected retailers have managed to keep their physical stores open amidst the disruptions
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