Marks & Spencer cyber attack: M&S responds to Percy Pig shortage after IT disruption hits supply chain

Shoppers across the UK were surprised to find empty shelves where the popular pink gummy sweets are normally stocked, with some stores displaying only limited varieties such as veggie and low-sugar versions. Signs next to the displays read: “Please bear with us while we fix some technical issues affecting product availability.”

An M&S spokesperson responded to concerns, saying: “Nothing will stop Percy! While he's on most of our shelves, he's very popular and we're working hard to make sure he's on a shelf in every store.”

The company continues to face widespread disruption following a ransomware attack over the Easter weekend. The cybera ttack, believed to be linked to the hacking group Scattered Spider, forced the high street giant to pause its online orders and click-and-collect services, as well as contactless payments, which have since been restored.

M&S also confirmed that online job listings have been temporarily pulled, with the retailer’s recruitment platform offline as IT teams work to contain the breach. A message on the company's careers site reads: “Sorry you can’t search or apply for roles right now, we’re working hard to be back online as soon as possible.”

A spokeswoman for M&S added: “While we proactively manage the cyber incident, we are temporarily pausing some of our normal processes so we can continue to work hard on offering the best M&S for our customers and colleagues. Job adverts will be up again in due course.”

According to cybersecurity outlet Bleeping Computer, as reported by Daily Mail, hackers may have gained access to the company’s systems as early as February, with the attack launched during the bank holiday weekend.

M&S, which employs around 65,000 people, has seen an estimated £500 million drop in share value since the attack, and has yet to confirm when full online services will resume.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed on Wednesday that it is investigating the incident.

In a separate case, The Co-op was also targeted in a cyber-related incident this week, temporarily shutting off parts of its IT systems, though all stores remain operational.