Marks & Spencer reported a significant loss of £11.8 million ($15.4 million) for the first half of the year, primarily due to a cyber-attack that disrupted its online business. The company’s fashion division suffered a sharp decline, with sales down by 16.4% to £1.7 billion ($2.21 billion), as the attack hindered online orders and in-store services. Despite an overall sales increase of 22.5% to £7.94 billion ($10.3 billion), the fashion segment’s performance was adversely affected, leading to a drop in operating margin from 12% to 2.7%. Looking ahead, Marks & Spencer aims to stabilize profits and implement cost-reduction strategies to navigate ongoing industry challenges, highlighting the growing importance of cybersecurity resilience in the retail sector.