Millions of Percy Pig fans have been left reeling after a cyber attack on Marks & Spencer crippled the high street favourite’s IT systems – leaving shelves stripped bare of the iconic pink sweets.
The beloved treats, of which 16 million bags are sold every year, were nowhere to be found in many M&S stores yesterday as the retailer struggled through the aftermath of a devastating hack that began over the Easter weekend.
Shoppers searching for their usual fix were met instead with signs next to near-empty shelves stocked only with a smattering of veggie and low-sugar alternatives. The notices read: “Please bear with us while we fix some technical issues affecting product availability.”
Fans of the cult confection were not amused. One alarmed customer posted online: “Lads, s**t just got real.” Another joked grimly: “This isn’t just a cyber attack — it’s an M&S cyber attack.”
The disruption has plunged M&S into crisis, with insiders confirming that staff have had to resort to manually completing sales reports as computer systems remain offline. This manual workaround has caused widespread disruption across the supply chain.
Shelves have been left empty not only of Percy Pigs, but also of other customer favourites like Colin the Caterpillar sweets and cakes, as well as wine, beer, soft drinks and chilled meat.
A spokesperson for the retailer confirmed the shortages, acknowledging “pockets of limited availability” in stores after social media was flooded with photos of barren aisles and missing products — from ready-to-eat chicken to fresh salads and dips.
Behind the scenes, the firm is working frantically with cyber security experts from the National Cyber Security Centre and Scotland Yard. The suspected culprits? Scattered Spider — an English-speaking hacking gang believed to be mostly under the age of 25.
As the crisis deepens, M&S is reportedly haemorrhaging tens of millions of pounds in lost online sales after being forced to suspend website and app orders since last Friday. Click and collect, as well as contactless payments, have also been halted in a desperate bid to contain the breach.
For loyal shoppers, the sight of empty shelves — and the absence of their favourite sweets — is yet another blow. One insider summed it up: “It’s chaos. People want Percy Pigs — and we simply don’t have them.”
