M&S plan for city store on track despite cyber attack

Marks & Spencer has said a damaging cyber attack caused by “human error” will cost the company around £300 million.

- Henry Saker-Clark

However, it said plans for new flagship stores in Bristol and Bath due to open in the next year remain on track - as does a new depot at Avonmouth.

The high street retail giant said disruption to online shopping could continue into July but it hopes to have this partly restored “within weeks”.

M&S halted orders on its website and saw empty shelves after being targeted by hackers around the Easter weekend. Customer personal data, which could have included names, email addresses, postal addresses and dates of birth, was also taken by hackers in the attack.

Chief executive Stuart Machin told reporters that hackers gained access to the company’s IT systems through a third party after “human error”.