The popular retailer Marks & Spencer’s website and app experienced a significant outage lasting for several hours on Saturday. The outage left shoppers unable to access the site and app, with a message displayed stating, “you can’t shop with us right now”. The company reassured customers that they were working diligently to resolve the issue, stating, “We’re working hard to be back online as soon as possible.” Fortunately, by 6pm on Saturday, services had resumed and the site and app were once again accessible to customers.
During the outage, all menus and images disappeared from the site, with the exception of one image featuring a model in a green jacket. Customers trying to use the app were met with a message stating, “Sorry you can’t shop through the app right now. We’re busy making some planned changes, but will be back soon.” The site was reportedly down for several hours before services were restored.
A spokesperson for M&S confirmed to the media that the outage began in the early afternoon and was caused by a technical issue with a third party service provider. The company stated, “A third party service provider experienced a technical issue which temporarily affected access to our website and app.” In response to a concerned customer on social media, M&S replied, “We’re experiencing some technical issues but we are working on it.”
Unfortunately, M&S is not the only high street name to recently experience technical difficulties. Just last month, some Sainsbury’s shoppers encountered problems with their online orders. The timing of the outage is particularly unfortunate as M&S is expected to report a significant increase in annual profits in the coming days. It has been a successful year for the brand, with strong sales and a successful turnaround plan that included store closures and cost cutting.
Despite the temporary setback, it is clear that M&S remains a popular and successful brand. The company has reassured customers that the issue has been resolved and apologizes for any inconvenience caused. Shoppers can once again access the M&S website and app to make their purchases.
