When will M&S take online orders again?

Marks & Spencer shoppers are still not able to place orders on the website, following a cyberattack on the retailer last month.

Online orders have been “paused” on the M&S website and app since 25 April. The retailer is also still struggling with in-store stock availability, judging by the empty shelves and chiller units in some shops.

The cyberattack has caused M&S’s share price to plunge by 15%, wiping more than a billion pounds from its market value.

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M&S's problems began over the Easter weekend, with customers not able to use contactless payments, gift cards or scan their M&S Sparks loyalty card. The company confirmed it was dealing with a "cyber incident" and although those services have resumed, on 25 April, it stopped taking online orders.

Now, more than two weeks on, the retailer says it still doesn’t know when online orders will resume.

Martyn James, a consumer expert, says the “ongoing problems show just how dangerous cyberattacks can be”, and that the empty shelves and suspension of online orders will be hugely damaging to M&S’s profits.

Richard Hunter, head of markets at Interactive Investor, adds: “It is estimated that the suspension of the online service is costing the group some £4 million in sales each day and, with the full-year results due next week, the CEO will be hoping to provide some more positive news along with the numbers, if not before.”

We look at what’s happening with online orders, what unhappy customers can do, and whether it’s still worth investing in M&S, one of Britain’s most popular stocks.

When will M&S start taking online orders again?

MoneyWeek asked M&S when it would start accepting online orders again. We were told there was no update on this, and that customers can still browse the website and put items in their online basket, they just can’t check out at the moment.

Online orders have been suspended since 25 April. On 2 May, M&S put out a note on its social media channels saying it was “working day and night to manage the current cyber incident and get things back to normal for you as quickly as possible”.

The retailer told MoneyWeek on 12 May that it didn’t have any update since this statement, and it couldn’t say whether online orders would resume later this month.

In terms of stock availability, it said availability had improved a lot over the past few days and it was working hard to improve things further.

Many customers have posted pictures of empty M&S shelves on social media highlighting stock shortages.

‘I’ve been impacted by the M&S problems. What are my rights?’

M&S says customers should get in touch with customer service if they have a query or complaint. The customer service number is 0333 014 8555, or you can visit the help and support webpage.

You can also send a message to M&S’s X account.

The retailer has given out gift cards to some customers affected by cancelled orders, for example where celebration cakes were cancelled at the last minute. So, it may be possible to get compensation or a goodwill gesture depending on how the cyberattack has impacted you.

Martyn James says: “When it comes to cyberhacks or a business that can't operate as per normal, you have two types of loss: direct loss (you paid for something but it never turned up), and consequential loss (you bought a gift that wasn't delivered on time so a birthday was ruined).

“Direct losses should always be refunded. Consequential loss is complicated. So, if your gift card expired because you couldn't use it, that's a 'direct' loss and you should get the money.

“But if your mum didn't get her birthday present on time then it's annoying but it's harder to quantify. You can ask for a 'gesture of goodwill' to reflect the spoiled event, but don't get too excited.”

How does the cyberattack affect M&S shareholders?

The M&S share price has plummeted by about 15% since the cyberattack was announced.

Hunter, from Interactive Investor, tells MoneyWeek that the main concern for investors is that, “despite the company’s frantic efforts in the background, there have only been a couple of updates from M&S, which has heightened nerves around the severity of the attack”.

However, despite the recent decline, the shares are still up by 27% over the last year and by 113% over the last two, according to Interactive Investor.

“M&S has come strongly back into fashion with investors and customers alike, and its transformation builds on what was already its jewel in the crown, namely its food business. Further tweaks to its store rotation programme, more investment into smaller ranges such as home and beauty, while targeting an improvement to its online offering and a reset of its international business have all been signs of a business which has not been resting on its laurels,” says Hunter.

He adds that while the market consensus of the shares remains positive, coming in at a buy, “by the same token the clock is ticking, and not only will M&S need to reassure investors that corrective actions have been taken, but also that they will have a stronger line of defence to prevent this happening again”.

Who was responsible for the cyberattack?

M&S has not commented on who was behind the attack on its systems, but we do know it was a ransomware attack.

This is a type of malicious software used to scramble data or files after gaining access to a business's computer systems. Hackers often threaten to leak or sell the data to pressure a company to pay a ransom.

A group known as "DragonForce" told the BBC it was responsible for the attack on M&S, the Co-Op (where it says it stole huge amounts of customer and employee data) and an attempted hack of Harrods.