H&M stores hit by major IT outage, cyber attack speculation mounts

Fashion giant H&M has reported a significant IT outage today, leaving customers unable to complete payments across its UK stores.

While the exact cause of the disruption remains unconfirmed, the incident immediately fuels speculation of a potential cyberattack, given a recent wave of similar incidents targeting major British retailers.

Customers attempting purchases found payment systems to be down for several hours, with reports from a London store worker indicating sales had been halted for approximately two hours.

It is currently unclear whether online shoppers are experiencing similar issues. A spokesperson for H&M acknowledged the problem, stating: “We are aware of the problem and are looking into resolving it as quickly as possible. We apologise to our customers for the inconvenience.”

Rob Jardin, Chief Digital Officer at cybersecurity specialists, NymVPN, comments:

“H&M hasn’t confirmed the cause of the outage, and there’s no official indication yet that it’s a cyber attack – but given the recent wave of attacks targeting major retailers, it’s naturally one of the first conclusions people will jump to.

“In today’s climate, any unexplained disruption to payment systems or operations is likely to raise red flags, especially when details are scarce.

“Until more information is shared, speculation will fill the gap – which is why clear, timely communication from companies is so important in maintaining trust.

“The causes of IT outages like this are often discovered hours after the incident, which is why it is crucial that shoppers take the necessary precautions before shopping online. Do not save your payment details with the retailer directly to avoid being even more vulnerable during a data leak.”

The outage closely follows high-profile cyberattacks that crippled operations at British retail institutions like Marks & Spencer and Co-op. M&S, in particular, revealed last month that an attack forced it to halt online orders and caused significant stock issues in stores, leading to an estimated £300 million loss.

The Co-op also faced disruption in late April, with hackers accessing data related to a significant number of current and past members.