Co-op Temporarily Shuts Down IT Systems Following Cyber Threat

The Co-operative Group has taken swift action to shut down parts of its IT infrastructure following an attempted cyberattack.

Image: Co-operative Group

The pre-emptive shutdown, which began over the weekend, has affected back-office systems, virtual desktops, and call centre operations. Despite the disruption, Co-op has confirmed that its food stores, home delivery services, and funeral homes continue to operate as normal.

In a statement, the retailer said: “We recently experienced attempts to gain unauthorised access to some of our systems. We took swift action to protect our systems, including temporarily removing access to some of them to help contain the incident.”

A Co-op spokesperson added: “We are working hard to reduce any disruption to our services and would like to thank our colleagues, members, partners, and suppliers for their understanding during this period.”

The retailer emphasised there is currently no evidence that customer data has been accessed or compromised. Customers and members are not being asked to take any action at this time.

External cybersecurity experts have been brought in to assist, and the business is working closely with law enforcement and the National Cyber Security Centre as investigations continue.

While core operations remain unaffected for customers, the shutdown has impacted internal functions. Staff have reported resorting to manual checks on fresh produce due to limited access to digital systems, and some IT-based processes, such as onboarding new employees, have been affected.

This incident follows another recent cyberattack on a major UK retailer, prompting wider concern across the retail industry about the growing threat to digital infrastructure. Industry voices have called for stronger resilience planning and proactive recovery measures to safeguard customer trust and ensure business continuity.

Co-op has pledged to provide updates as needed and remains focused on restoring full IT functionality while maintaining seamless service for customers.