The parent company of fashion labels Hobbs and Whistles has apologised to customers following a cyber attack, the second such incident to strike a British retailer within a single week.
Cybersecurity incident disclosed
South African retail conglomerate The Foschini Group (TFG) said it became aware of the "cybersecurity incident" on Sunday, with its UK arm TFG London bearing the brunt of the attack, leaving "certain of its IT systems" compromised, specifically its Phase Eight, Hobbs and Whistles brands.
However, the group said there was "no reason to believe that payment information is at risk". Other high street names, including Inside Story and White Stuff, remain unaffected.
Authorities notified
TFG confirmed it had notified the relevant UK authorities of the breach, adding that its operations across TFG Africa and TFG Australia had also escaped unscathed.
The incident follows an incident affecting fast fashion giant Asos, which revealed just a week ago that an "unauthorised party" had gained access to certain personal data, including customers' names and contact details. Asos shoppers received mobile alerts notifying them of the breach, which was linked to data storage firm Snowflake. Snowflake subsequently denied that any vulnerability or flaw within its platform was responsible.
Impact on orders and stores
Shoppers who had already placed orders with Phase Eight, Hobbs or Whistles prior to Sunday were reassured that their purchases would be fulfilled and delivered as expected. TFG London warned that orders submitted after Sunday may experience some delays, though said customers should not resubmit their orders.
TFG London confirmed that in-store returns would continue as usual, while it works towards a solution for postal returns, pledging to keep customers updated throughout.
TFG London said: "On Sunday, 11 October, TFG London identified a cybersecurity incident affecting some of our IT systems, specifically impacting our Phase Eight, Hobbs, and Whistles brands.
"We are actively investigating and working with external cyber security specialists.
"Stores are open as normal but some of our brand's website capabilities may not be available as the investigation continues.
"We apologise for any disruption and will provide additional updates to our customers as appropriate."
TFG London's UK presence
TFG London made its debut in the UK market in 2015 with the acquisition of Phase Eight, subsequently expanding its portfolio to encompass womenswear labels Whistles and Hobbs, homeware brand Inside Story, and lifestyle brand White Stuff.
The London-headquartered subsidiary employs upwards of 3,000 members of staff and maintains operations spanning the UK, Europe, America and Asia.
