Marks & Spencer has suffered a "bruise" to its reputation after it was forced to stop taking online orders following a cyber attack, an analyst has said. The retail giant has paused orders on its website and apps since Friday as it attempts to restore operations. But analysts say M&S stands to lose out if the problem is not resolved quickly, with shoppers likely to turn to rival brands when buying summer clothes. Kate Hardcastle, consumer specialist at Insight with Passion, said the incident was "a bruise to M&S's trusted brand image".However, she added that because M&S had responded quickly and been open with its communication the long-term damage should limited. About a third of the retailer's clothing and household goods' sales in the UK come from its online operations. Natalie Berg, retail analyst at NBK Retail, said such incidents "erodes consumer trust in the brand". Customers began reporting problems last weekend - with people struggling to use contactless payments, click & collect, and gift cards - and on Tuesday the retailer confirmed it was facing a "cyber incident". Then on Friday M&S said it was pausing taking orders through its UK & Ireland websites and apps and some international websites. With warmer weather due this week, and shoppers turning their thoughts to summer, analysts said M&S could be missing out on sales at a critical time, as people were likely to turn to rival retailers to get what they want. M&S's sales and profits have improved in recent years and it has been seeking to expand its online operations. Last year, out of £3.9bn of sales in its clothing and home business, nearly £1.3bn came online.
BBQ: Would an issue like this cause you to loose trust in a brand? Why is this particularly important to M&S?
