Co-op says ‘malicious’ cyber-attack has hit profits by £80m

A man walks past empty shelves in a branch of the Co-op in Manchester after the cyber-attack. Photograph: Danny Lawson/PA

The Co-op has fallen into the red after it suffered an £80m hit to profits as a result of a “malicious” cyber-attack this year.

The group, which owns more than 2,000 grocery stores and more than 800 funeral parlours, was forced to shut down parts of its IT systems in April after it discovered an attempted hack.