M&S to be fully back online by August, assures CEO Stuart Machin

Marks & Spencer’s online shop is set to be fully restored by August following April’s crippling cyber‑attack, CEO Stuart Machin confirmed at today’s annual general meeting. He reassured shareholders that recovery efforts are on track.

The cyber‑attack, which hit systems on 22 April, shut much of the M&S online store for around seven weeks, only resuming partial service in June. While customers can now place online orders, click‑and‑collect ranges remain unavailable.

CEO outlook

Machin told investors: “Within the next four weeks we are hoping for the whole of online to be fully on,” and added, “I’m really hoping by August, the majority of this is behind us, and customers will see the full M&S”.

Beyond website restoration, attention is turning to rebuilding its Castle Donington warehouse automation—“getting all the automation back up and running”—ahead of a full operational recovery in August.

The damage

The breach has dealt a hefty blow: M&S estimates a hit of around £300 million in lost profits.

Competitors reportedly picked up market share, with Sainsbury’s benefiting from the outage.

Fixes underway

M&S says the attack originated via social engineering at a third‑party supplier, prompting an “amplified investment” in cybersecurity—tripling staff numbers and ramping up defence efforts.

Machin emphasised stronger staff training and tighter protocols are in the works to prevent a recurrence.

Regaining trust

To win back lost customers, M&S will lean on its Sparks loyalty app—for example offering retroactive birthday treats—alongside enhanced customer service in stores and online.

Executive pay is also under watch: chairman Archie Norman confirmed that bonuses will be recalibrated to reflect the financial disruption.

Looking forward

While half of the online platform remains offline, Machin’s pledge of full restoration within four weeks and “majority behind us by August” offers a welcome resolution. Analysts expect a larger-than-normal end‑of‑season sale, potentially with deeper discounts to shift excess stock.

In short, M&S is confident that by the end of July or early August, the sentiment of “true M&S” will be restored—online, in warehouses, and across its customer base.

Source: Sky News