Marks and Spencer’s CEO has announced that its remaining online services will be fully restored by next month. The supermarket had begun reintroducing online orders recently, but certain features like click and collect and next day delivery are still unavailable. Deliveries to Northern Ireland are also on hold. Stuart Machin, the CEO, anticipates that all services will be back to normal by August.
During the company’s annual general meeting, Machin expressed optimism, stating, “I’m really hoping by August, the majority of this is behind us, and customers will see the full M&S.”
M&S had to close its online store due to a cyber attack over the Easter weekend, which led to disruptions in contactless payments in stores and click and collect orders. Customer data was compromised in the attack.
The stolen data may include names, email addresses, addresses, and dates of birth, but not card or payment details. M&S has warned customers to be cautious if they receive communications purporting to be from the company.
Following the cyber attack, M&S’s operations director, Jayne Wall, advised customers to be vigilant, stating, “You might receive emails, calls, or texts claiming to be from M&S when they are not, so do be cautious.”
The cyber attack is estimated to cost the company around £300 million. Machin attributed the breach to “human error” from an external party, emphasizing that it was a temporary setback that the company would overcome.
Before the cyber attack, M&S reported a significant increase in annual profits, reaching £875.5 million, the highest in over 15 years, thanks to its successful turnaround efforts.
M&S is one of several companies targeted by ransomware attacks, a type of malware that infiltrates systems, steals sensitive information, and demands payment for its release. Other recent victims include the Co-op and Harrods.
