The prolonged disruption required buyers to use manual ordering processes without their standard technology, restricting product availability. While sales in clothing, beauty, and homewares rose 17.5% year-on-year to almost £2bn, division profits and sales remained below levels from two years ago due to availability constraints and the higher fulfilment costs of online orders. Performance was bolstered by the food division, where sales jumped nearly 14% to £5.2bn following investments in pricing, quality, and store expansion. Additionally, the group's Ocado joint venture swung to a £25.6m profit from a previous loss.
Key points
Operational fallout from cyber disruptions can depress inventory availability and elevate…: Operational fallout from cyber disruptions can depress inventory availability and elevate fulfillment costs for more than a year.
Grocery investments and retail partner turnarounds can successfully counterbalance prolon…: Grocery investments and retail partner turnarounds can successfully counterbalance prolonged weaknesses within general merchandise divisions.
Sustained cost-reduction programs across core supply chains remain essential to buffer re…: Sustained cost-reduction programs across core supply chains remain essential to buffer retail businesses against new regulatory taxes.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
Marks & Spencer has said a devastating cyber-attack that shut down its website last year continued to hurt clothing sales over the summer, more than a year after the hack.
The retailer said profits bounced back to £355m in the six months to 26 September from only £3.4m a year before as it partly recovered from the hack. The attack, which began over Easter 2025, forced it to shut its website, which sells clothing and homewares, for more than six weeks.
Total sales over the half year across the food to fashion group rose 16.2% to £9.2bn.
However, M&S said sales and profit from its clothing and homewares arm remained below two years ago as “availability was constrained due to the longer than expected impact of manual ordering processes following the incident, while profitability was diluted by an increased mix of online sales which have higher fulfilment costs”.
The retailer has previously explained that its team of buyers had to calculate demand and make orders to suppliers without the help of their usual technology and detailed information last year.
The energy giant has recruited Emma Lewis from industry rival Shell to take charge of its downstream operations. This leadership transition brings an experienced peer executive into a critical division responsible for key refining, marketing, and distribution activities. The appointment marks a significant talent shift between the two major energy corporations as BP positions its business for ongoing operational demands.
The technology giant is offering separation packages to international staff looking to leave their roles voluntarily. This initiative presents workforce members in multiple regions with formal pathways to exit their employment with the company. The departure options represent a coordinated cross-border effort affecting staff across multiple geographic divisions.
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