Cyberattack Turns Supermarkets into Deserts — Co-op Struggles to Restock
The story of how a single breach robbed Britain of its breakfast.
Shelves across the UK’s Co-op retail chain remain partially empty two weeks after a cyberattack disrupted key logistics systems. Despite the company’s claims of gradually restoring deliveries, store employees and customers nationwide continue to face widespread product shortages.
In April, Co-op announced it had taken preventive measures after detecting unauthorized access attempts to its IT systems. At the time, the company assured the public that the impact would be limited to back-office operations and call centers. However, CEO Shirine Khoury-Haq later confirmed "significant disruptions" and acknowledged a breach involving customer and member data. Specific details of the attack remain undisclosed, though sources claim the perpetrators may still have access to the internal network.
Due to the shutdown of several IT services, Co-op’s logistics operations have been severely affected: shipments from distribution centers have dropped to less than 20% of their normal volume. This has directly impacted store inventory levels. The shortage is particularly acute for perishable animal products such as meat, poultry, milk, and eggs — which the company is prioritizing due to strict spoilage disposal requirements. Many stores are also lacking fresh fruits, vegetables, canned goods, and tobacco products.
One Co-op employee stated they don’t expect operations to return to normal before June. They noted that fellow cyberattack victim Marks & Spencer is "two weeks ahead of us, but still struggling with the aftermath."
A Co-op spokesperson confirmed that all stores remain open and that supply chains are gradually recovering, with a particular focus on delivering chilled, frozen, and essential goods. However, the company admitted that not all locations are able to offer their usual product range and apologized to customers for the inconvenience.
Even if logistics systems were restored instantly, employees say it would still take weeks to return to pre-attack supply levels due to the complexity of distribution chains. Co-op representatives declined to comment on whether current shipment volumes have reached previous levels.
In some areas, other retail chains have helped offset shortages, but the situation remains tense in remote regions. For instance, on the Scottish island of Islay — where Co-op is the only major grocery store — a temporary delivery scheme has been introduced, prioritizing so-called “essential” locations.
Co-op, a consumer cooperative, employs over 50,000 people and operates more than 3,000 outlets across the UK, including grocery stores, insurance services, and funeral homes. In the last fiscal year, the company reported £161 million in pre-tax profit on £11.3 billion in revenue. As a non-public entity, Co-op is not required to disclose the financial impact of the incident to investors.
