The Co-op has been forced to shut down part of its IT system following an attempted cyber attack.
The company confirmed the attempted hack in a letter to staff.
The major UK retailer, which operates more than 2,000 grocery stores and 800 funeral homes across the country, took the measure after discovering attempts to breach its systems.
M&S saw its contactless payments and click and collect orders affected by the cyber attack.
The Co-op is the second major retailer in a week to face such security challenges.
The timing of these consecutive attacks on prominent UK retailers has raised concerns about potential vulnerabilities in retail IT infrastructure.
Co-op has exciting news for Italian food fansGETTY IMAGESA Co-Op spokesperson said: "We have recently experienced attempts to gain unauthorised access to some of our systems.
"As a result, we have taken proactive steps to keep our systems safe, which has resulted in a small impact to some of our back office and call centre services."
The retailer emphasised that these measures were preventative rather than reactive, suggesting they identified the threat before any significant breach occurred.
The company has not provided specific details about the nature of the attempted cyber attack.
The retailer has indicated that the impact of the security measures has been limited to certain operational areas.
There have been no reports of disruption to in-store services or payment systems at Co-op locations
PA"We are working hard to reduce any disruption to our services," the spokesperson added.
Unlike the M&S incident, there have been no reports of disruption to in-store services or payment systems at Co-op locations.
The company appears to have contained the situation to back-end systems, minimising the effect on customer-facing operations.
The Co-op spokesperson concluded their statement by thanking those affected by the disruption.
"We would like to thank our colleagues, members, partners and suppliers for their understanding during this period," they said.
The retailer has not indicated how long the protective measures will remain in place.
The company confirmed the attempted hack in a letter to staff
GETTYThis marks the latest in what appears to be an emerging pattern of cyber security challenges facing major UK retailers in 2025.
Customers have been advised that store operations continue to function normally despite the back-office disruptions.
