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Marks & Spencer Resumes Online Orders After 46-Day Cyberattack Shutdown

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British retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S) has resumed online orders for its clothing range after a 46-day suspension due to a cyberattack. The company’s shares rose 3.5% following the restart of standard home deliveries in England, Scotland, and Wales for most clothing items.

An M&S spokesperson noted that not all products are currently available online, with the initial focus on best-selling and new items. The retailer plans to expand the available product selection daily. Deliveries to Northern Ireland, as well as click-and-collect, next-day, nominated-day, and international delivery services, are expected to resume in the coming weeks.

M&S halted clothing and home orders through its website and app on April 25 after technical issues during the Easter holiday weekend disrupted contactless payments and click-and-collect services. The company had initially disclosed managing a “cyber incident” on April 22.

Last month, M&S projected that online disruptions would continue into July and estimated the financial impact at approximately £300 million ($404 million) in lost operating profit for the 2025/26 financial year. However, the company aims to reduce this loss through insurance claims and cost-cutting measures. The cyberattack also interfered with M&S’s supply chain, hindering its ability to stock stores during a period of high demand driven by warm weather.

Industry analysts anticipate that the upcoming end-of-season sale will feature larger inventories and deeper discounts than usual. Despite Tuesday’s share price recovery, M&S shares remain 9.5% lower since the cyberattack was first reported.

The breach occurred when hackers exploited a vulnerability by deceiving employees at a third-party contractor, allowing them to bypass M&S’s digital security measures. In response, M&S plans to use this incident as an opportunity to accelerate technological upgrades.

In recent weeks, several global retailers have reported similar cyber incidents, including UK grocer the Co-op Group, German sportswear brand Adidas, luxury jeweller Cartier, and U.S. lingerie retailer Victoria’s Secret.

Roomba Maker iRobot Raises Concerns Over Its Future as Business Struggles

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iRobot, the maker of the popular Roomba vacuum cleaner, raised alarms on Wednesday about its ability to continue as a going concern, citing macroeconomic and tariff-related uncertainties. The company’s announcement led to a sharp decline in its stock price, which dropped by more than 30% during afternoon trading. This marks a continued downturn from the company’s pandemic-era highs.

In a statement, iRobot highlighted that “there is substantial doubt about [its] ability to continue as a going concern.” The company, which was valued at $3.56 billion in 2021 due to a surge in demand during the pandemic, is now worth under $200 million.

For the fourth quarter ending December 28, 2024, iRobot reported a net loss of $77.1 million, widening from $63.6 million in the same period the previous year. Revenue also took a hit, declining by 44% in the fourth quarter. Furthermore, the company’s cash reserves fell to $134.3 million in 2024, down from $185.1 million in 2023, while its debt stood at $200.6 million.

iRobot has struggled to compete with Chinese rivals, such as Ecovacs Robotics, which have gained market share by offering more advanced features at lower prices. Despite these challenges, iRobot is exploring strategic options, including a possible sale or debt refinancing, just a day after unveiling eight new Roomba models in what it called its largest product rollout.

In August 2022, iRobot had agreed to a $61-per-share acquisition by Amazon, which analysts believed could provide a lifeline to the struggling company and bolster Amazon’s smart home division. However, the deal faced significant antitrust objections and concerns over privacy related to the spatial data collected by Roomba devices, ultimately leading to the merger’s collapse in January last year.

After the deal fell through, iRobot’s founder, Colin Angle, stepped down as CEO, suggesting the company needed a new leader with expertise in turnarounds. In May 2023, Gary Cohen was appointed CEO to lead the company’s recovery efforts.