Co-op reroutes stock to rural stores amid cyber attack disruptions

Co-op is prioritising deliveries to rural and island-based stores as it works to minimise disruption caused by an ongoing cyber attack that has affected supply chains across its UK store network.

The move comes amid growing concern over shortages in isolated communities, with some stores—particularly across the Scottish isles—reportedly running low on essential items following the attack.

The convenience retailer has reportedly diverted food and drink supplies to its most remote locations, where it is often the sole provider of groceries. These areas are now being prioritised to avoid leaving communities without access to essentials or forcing residents to travel long distances.

Suppliers have been asked to cancel deliveries to Co-op’s warehouses in recent days, as technical issues with its Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) system continue to impact stock management and deliveries.

Some stores have experienced empty shelves and shortages of core items including milk, vegetables, and toilet paper. The decision to prioritise remote locations may lead to further supply constraints in urban branches.

• Related Story

  • 

    Co-op faces delivery delays and empty shelves as cyber attack escalates

    06/05/2025 x 8:10 AM

The group is still dealing with the fallout from a serious cyber attack that forced it to shut down several systems and led to the theft of customer data. The incident, which affected both back-office systems and call centres, was confirmed to be more severe than initially thought.

On Monday (5 May), CEO Shirine Khoury-Haq wrote to members saying: “This is obviously extremely distressing for our colleagues and members, and I am very sorry this happened.”

Some stores had to restrict payments to cash only earlier this week, though issues with card systems were resolved by Wednesday.

The Co-op is the latest in a string of retailers to fall victim to cyber threats. Both M&S and Harrods have recently been targeted, as a wave of cyber attacks continues to hit the UK retail sector.

The attack on Co-op has been linked to groups of teenage hackers, including a collective known as DragonForce, which told the BBC it had stolen data from 20 million customers. The retailer has not confirmed this figure.

Government cyber experts are now assisting the Co-op in responding to the breach. Staff have reportedly been asked to keep cameras on during virtual meetings to prevent hackers from impersonating colleagues through internal communication platforms.