Business
Co-op reveals financial impact of ‘malicious’ cyber attack
The Co-operative Group has revealed it plunged to a £75 million underlying pre-tax loss for the first half of the year, primarily due to an £80 million earnings hit from a “malicious” cyber attack in April.
This marks a significant downturn from the £3 million profit reported in the same period last year.
The retailer confirmed that the cyber incident, which led to widespread disruption including empty shelves and payment issues for shoppers, impacted sales by an estimated £206 million.
This directly contributed to the £80 million blow to earnings, a sum that also included £20 million of non-underlying one-off costs.
For the six months to July 5, the Co-op recorded a £32 million underlying operating loss, a sharp contrast to the £47 million earnings achieved a year earlier.
The group expects to face a continuing, though diminished, financial impact in the second half of its fiscal year.
Debbie White, chairwoman of the Co-op, said: “The first half of 2025 brought significant challenges, most notably from a malicious cyber attack.
“Our balance sheet strength and the magnificent response of our 53,000 colleagues enabled us to maintain vital services for our members and their communities.”
The Co-op said the hacking attempt was “sophisticated” but that it acted “quickly and decisively to temporarily shut down a number of systems to contain the threat”.
The group shut off parts of its IT systems after the attack, in which hackers accessed and extracted members’ personal data.
The group said previously that the hackers created a copy of one of the firm’s files but were unable to attack its platforms further and install planned ransomware.
It said efforts following the incident included moves to keep essential services running, such as its funerals business, while prioritising stock to rural “lifeline” stores.
It also said it supported independent co-op societies and franchise partners to minimise disruption to them, while it offered its members a £10 discount off a £40 shop as a thank you for their support throughout the disruption.
Chief executive Shirine Khoury-Haq said: “The cyber attack highlighted many of our strengths.
“But more importantly, it also highlighted areas we need to focus on – particularly in our food business.
“We’ve already started on this journey, refining our member and customer proposition, making structural changes to our business, and setting our Co–op up for long-term success.”
Indian Railways has reached a global milestone in freight operations, securing its position as a premier international logistics hub. Union Minister for Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, announced today that the national carrier has achieved an unprecedented scale in its logistics division. Highlighting this achievement, the Minister stated, “Indian Railways has become the second-largest cargo carrier in the world.”
Building on this momentum, the Ministry has prepared a rigorous roadmap for the upcoming year aimed at systemic transformation. The government plans to roll out a series of weekly initiatives to modernise every facet of rail travel and transport. Vaishnaw explained the structured timeline, saying, “For 2026, Railways has resolved to implement 52 reforms in 52 weeks.”
The initial phase of this plan will prioritise the passenger experience, with a focus on improving the quality of onboard facilities. The Minister identified the primary starting point for this year-long agenda, noting, “The first reform is better onboard services in Railways.”
In addition to passenger amenities, the government is placing strong emphasis on the “Gati Shakti” initiative to streamline the nationwide movement of goods. This strategic focus is designed to strengthen the country’s supply chain. Vaishnaw confirmed the freight sector’s priority, adding, “The second concerns ‘Gati Shakti Cargo.’”
A cornerstone of the 2026 agenda is a comprehensive overhaul of sanitation and hygiene standards. The Ministry has developed a new blueprint to ensure that the rail network’s cleanliness meets global benchmarks. Detailing the specifics of the first major initiative, the Minister remarked, “Reform number one for 2026 will ensure proper end-to-end cleaning of the Railways… The concept of a clean rail station has been established.”
This cleanliness drive is not a short-term measure but a multi-year commitment to cover the entire Indian Railways fleet. The implementation will be phased to ensure thoroughness and consistency. Vaishnaw clarified the timeline, stating, “Over three years, this reform will be implemented across all trains.”
To ensure the success of these reforms, the Ministry is introducing a robust accountability framework. These measures will include performance-based contracts and the integration of modern digital tools to monitor progress in real time. Emphasising the shift towards professional and technology-driven management, the Minister concluded, “There will be clearly defined service-level agreements… There will be extensive use of technology.”
Craft beer brand BrewDog could be sold off after the company started the process to find new investors.
The Scottish beer brand recently announced plans to close all of its distilling brands, meaning it would no longer produce any of its spirits, including Duo Rum, Abstrakt Vodka, and Lonewolf Gin, at its distillery in Ellon, Aberdeenshire.
The company, which was founded in 2007, said it made the decision to focus on its beer brands, including the highly-popular Punk IPA, Elvis Juice, and Hazy Jane.
Now, in a statement, a spokesperson for BrewDog said the company had appointed Alix Partners to “support a structured and competitive process to evaluate the next phase of investment for the business.”
The statement said: “As with many businesses operating in a challenging economic climate and facing sustained macro headwinds, we regularly review our options with a focus on the long-term strength and sustainability of the company.
“Following a year of decisive action in 2025, which saw a focus on costs and operating efficiencies, we have appointed AlixPartners to support a structured and competitive process to evaluate the next phase of investment for the business. This is a deliberate and disciplined step with a focus on strengthening the long-term future of the BrewDog brand and its operations.”
Although no decisions have been made, a sale is under consideration.
In a statment BrewDog added: “BrewDog remains a global pioneer in craft beer: a world-class consumer brand, the No.1 independent brewer in the UK, and with a highly engaged global community. We believe that this combination will attract substantial interest, though no final decisions have been made.”
According to reports by Sky News, AlixPartners had begun sounding out prospective buyers in the last few days.
The company, which has 72 bars worldwide and four breweries in Scotland, the US, Australia, and Germany, said its breweries, bars, and venues will continue to operate as normal. It employs 1400 people across the organisation.
BrewDog’s founders James Watt and Martin Dickie are the company’s major shareholders alongside private equity company TSG, which invested £213 million in 2017, making it a 21 per cent shareholder.
In 2024, the beer brand grossed £357 million in sales, and it is a major independent brewer with 4 per cent market share in the UK grocery market.
Beermaker BrewDog could be broken up after consultants were called in to help look for new investors.
The Scotland-based brewer, which makes craft beer such as Punk IPA and Elvis Juice, has appointed consultants AlixPartners to oversee a sale process.
Last month, BrewDog announced it was closing its distilling brands, sparking concerns for jobs at its facility in Ellon, Aberdeenshire.
The company, which was founded in 2007, said it made the decision to focus on its beer products.
No decision has been made in respect of the sale process.
A spokesperson for BrewDog said: “As with many businesses operating in a challenging economic climate and facing sustained macro headwinds, we regularly review our options with a focus on the long-term strength and sustainability of the company.
“Following a year of decisive action in 2025, which saw a focus on costs and operating efficiencies, we have appointed AlixPartners to support a structured and competitive process to evaluate the next phase of investment for the business.
“This is a deliberate and disciplined step with a focus on strengthening the long-term future of the BrewDog brand and its operations.
“BrewDog remains a global pioneer in craft beer: a world-class consumer brand, the number one independent brewer in the UK and with a highly engaged global community.
“We believe that this combination will attract substantial interest, though no final decisions have been made.
“Our breweries, bars, and venues continue to operate as normal. We will not comment on any further speculation.”
Brewdog operates 72 bars around the world as well as four breweries.
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