Marks and Spencer (M&S) has responded swiftly with an investigation into a cyber incident over the bank holiday weekend, as its CEO apologised for any disruptions to shoppers.

The high street retailer issued a statement on London Stock Exchange to say it had been “managing a cyber incident over the past few days”, forcing it to make some “minor, temporary changes” to its store operations to protect customers and its business.

The incident saw customers unable to pay for products using contactless over the Easter weekend, with some shoppers claiming they were forced to abandon their full weekly shop due to the disturbance.

However, M&S has now apologised to customers for any disruptions and reassured that both its store, website and app are now operating as normal.

While the supermarket chain did not disclose the nature of the cyber breach, it has said the business is engaging with external cybersecurity experts to assist with investigating and managing the incident. It has reported the incident to the relevant data protection supervisory authorities and the National Cyber Security Centre.

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CEO Stuart Machin took to social media to reassure shoppers.

The company said it would now be taking further action to protect its network, adding: “Customer trust is incredibly important to us, and if the situation changes, an update will be provided as appropriate.”

The retailer also posted the statement on the social media platform Facebook, signed by its chief executive Stuart Machin, adding that some customers might experience delays to Click and Collect orders.

Social media users responded favourably to the supermarket’s message, with one commenter praising the company for its transparency with its “honesty and the unreserved apology”.

It is not the first time a business has faced cyber security issues within the grocery industry. In 2021, Sainsbury’s payroll system provider experienced a cyber attack, affecting around 150,000 employees.

Meanwhile, in 2022 Hula-Hoop owner KP Snacks’ profits took a hit after a cyber attack that resulted in a UK stock shortage across its range of popular brands.