By Islam El-Sakka
Online fashion retailer Asos has disclosed that a cyber attack early last month temporarily reduced group sales by an estimated 2% to 4%, measured by gross merchandise value, though overall trading has remained flat since its August 30 year-end, suggesting the impact will be short-lived.
Sales Impact Estimated at 2-4%
The company said the incident, which occurred in early October, knocked gross merchandise value growth by around 2% to 4%. However, Asos noted that sales have been broadly flat since the end of August, giving confidence that the effect is temporary.
Customer Data Accessed, Payments Safe
A full internal investigation concluded that the hacker accessed basic customer information, including names and contact details, but did not compromise payment information or account passwords. Asos confirmed its website and app remained operational and safe throughout.
Security Measures Implemented
The group has since introduced additional security measures across the business. As a precaution, certain marketing and customer relationship management activities were paused immediately after the attack, returning to planned levels within two days.
Financial Guidance Updated
Asos guided for underlying core profits of £180 million to £200 million for the current year to August 2027, up from £170.3 million reported for 2025/26, a 39% increase. Underlying pre-tax losses were halved to £46.4 million from £98.2 million the previous year.
