Cyber Attack on UK’s Morrisons: Christmas Sales Hit by Technology Provider Breach
British supermarket giant Morrisons revealed that a significant cyber attack impacting its technology provider, Blue Yonder, negatively affected its Christmas sales.
The November cyber attack disrupted Morrisons’ operations, leading to decreased product availability during the crucial holiday season.
“Our warehouse management system had to be shut down, leaving us without visibility on our fresh and produce stock levels for several days.” Morrisons CEO Rami Baitieh
This lack of visibility directly impacted the supermarket’s ability to manage inventory and meet customer demand during the peak Christmas shopping period. The disruption caused by the UK’s Morrisons cyber attack extended beyond the initial incident.
The consequences of the cyber attack at the technology provider rippled through Morrisons’ financial performance.
While the company did experience sales growth in the first quarter (ending January), the growth was significantly lower than the 4.9% reported in the previous quarter.
Morrisons’ Chief Financial Officer, Jo Goff, confirmed this reduced growth, highlighting the impact of the November incident.
The cyber attack at the technology provider Blue Yonder underscores the vulnerability of large retailers to supply chain disruptions caused by such breaches.
