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Marks & Spencer has begun to restore its online shopping services more than six weeks after a devastating cyber attack crippled its operations.
As of Tuesday, the retailer confirmed that some of its “best-selling fashion ranges” are now available for home delivery across England, Scotland, and Wales, with plans to gradually add more fashion, home and beauty products daily.
The lengthy disruption has seen M&S’s website unable to process online orders since mid-April. The company has stated that online orders for Northern Ireland and its popular click-and-collect service will be brought back into operation in the coming weeks. A grateful message from the retailer extended sincere thanks to customers for their ongoing support.
The cyber attack, which has been largely blamed on the “Scattered Spider” gang – a group reportedly composed of British and American teenage hackers who are also linked to a similar assault on the Co-op – caused significant chaos. Beyond halting online sales, it disrupted food deliveries to stores, leading to visible gaps on shelves, and forced M&S to inform customers that their personal information may have been compromised.
Financially, the impact has been severe. Last month, M&S bosses warned that the cyber attack is expected to wipe £300 million from profits this year. In the days immediately following the incident’s disclosure on April 22, the company’s market valuation plummeted by more than £1.3 billion, with shares dropping by as much as 15%. However, news of the online service resumption saw M&S shares surge by 1.5% in early trading today, briefly making it the top gainer on the FTSE 100.
M&S Chairman Archie Norman acknowledged in the company’s annual report last month that the impact would “endure for some weeks, or even months,” but expressed belief that the cyber attack would ultimately be a “bump in the road along the path to growth.”
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