M&S has confirmed that its Sparks loyalty program is now fully operational again after being severely impacted by a cyber attack.
The supermarket had to temporarily close its online services due to the cyber attack that occurred over the Easter weekend. The breach affected contactless payments in stores and click-and-collect orders.
Although no card or payment details were compromised, customer data such as names, email addresses, addresses, and dates of birth were stolen during the attack.
In a recent update, M&S announced that customers can once again access the full functionality of its Sparks app, including personalized discounts, birthday treats, and coffee stamps.
As part of the reactivation, M&S is offering customers the opportunity to receive a free coffee after collecting six stamps on their Sparks app. Additionally, over 1.8 million birthday treats will be distributed to customers celebrating their birthdays this month, with belated treats available for those who had birthdays in May or June.
Customers can choose between various treats such as Percy Pigs, a Swiss Truffle Assortment Box, flowers, Prosecco, grapes, or Outrageously Chocolatey Round Biscuits.
To enhance security measures, customers are advised to change their passwords when logging into the Sparks app following the cyber attack. M&S has also introduced a special discount as a gesture of gratitude to its staff.
This weekend, M&S is increasing its colleague discount from 20% to 30% for four days for 63,000 employees. The company is also extending a 10% discount to over 2,500 contractors working throughout its supply chain and partnerships.
Sharry Cramond, Director of Loyalty, Fashion, Home & Beauty Marketing, and Masterbrand, expressed appreciation for both the dedication of M&S colleagues and the loyalty of customers. The additional Sparks rewards are a token of gratitude from M&S.
Earlier this month, the CEO of M&S, Stuart Machin, assured shareholders that the rest of the online operations would be fully restored by August.
The cyber attack is projected to cost M&S approximately £300 million. Despite this setback, the company reported a significant increase in annual profits before the attack, reaching £875.5 million, the highest in over 15 years, attributed to its successful turnaround program.
Shoppers are reminded to exercise caution if they receive any communication from individuals claiming to represent M&S.