Praying for a hot summer M&S needs the sun to shift clothing after cyber-attack

The bosses at Marks & Spencer will surely be praying for sun.

- Joanna Partridge

As temperatures rise over the coming week, M&S will be hoping it prompts shoppers to fill their virtual baskets with shorts, swimwear and sandals to get its summer sales back on track.

After six weeks of disruption as the result of a cyber-attack, the retailer started taking internet orders again on Tuesday, making a selection of fashion items available for standard home delivery in England, Scotland and Wales. However, the partial resumption of online services does not mark the end of website troubles. Shoppers in Northern Ireland were told they would have to keep waiting before they could place orders, while click-and-collect and next-day delivery services would return in the weeks ahead.

Retail analysts were unsurprised that the UK's biggest clothing retailer had prioritised getting fashion back online before beauty and homeware, given the limited time M&S has to sell seasonal stock.