The parent company of several high-end fashion brands, including Hobbs and Whistles has become the latest retail target of a cybersecurity incident affecting its UK operations.

TFG London, the UK arm of retail conglomerate The Foschini Group encompassing Phase Eight, Hobbs, and Whistles, stated that it identified an incident on Sunday affecting some of its IT systems.

The company promptly activated its business continuity plan, engaged external cybersecurity specialists, and notified relevant authorities. While physical stores across all brands remain open and operating normally, online order capabilities may experience disruption and orders placed on or after Sunday could face delays.

TFG emphasised that payment processing is carried out by an independent third-party provider, and preliminary investigations indicate no reason to believe customer payment information is at risk.

The company added that if any sensitive customer personal information is found to be impacted, affected individuals will be directly informed. Customers have also been told that changing account login details is not currently deemed necessary.

The breach follows a relentless wave of security incidents impacting major fashion and retail brands. Just last week, were targeted by hackers who hijacked the retailer’s app push notification system to issue extortion notes, later exposing detailed personal profiles including recent search histories.

Meanwhile, Swedish fashion giant H&M announced it was investigating separate claims of an intrusion by the notorious cyber-criminal group ShinyHunters.

Industry experts warn that these frequent attacks underscore growing vulnerabilities across the retail sector. Beverley Griffiths, senior lecturer in security and resilience at Bucks New University, noted that major brands are firmly in the crosshairs of cyber attackers, emphasising that “no organisation is immune, so the real test of resilience is how quickly a business can detect an incident, respond and recover while keeping its customers informed”.

Charlotte Wilson, head of enterprise at Check Point, added that retail attacks are “starting to look rather like buses… you wait for one, and suddenly three come along at once,” pointing out that the wider industry has serious questions to answer regarding system exposure.

In response to the mounting security breaches, consumer organisations have urged shoppers to exercise extreme caution. Lisa Barber, Which? Tech Editor, said:

“Shoppers will be deeply concerned to learn of these latest security breaches, particularly coming so soon after the ASOS hack. Affected brands, including Phase Eight, Whistles and Hobbs, must ensure they keep customers updated and support them in taking any necessary steps to protect themselves if it emerges that their details have been compromised.

“In this climate of more frequent and high-profile hacks, consumers should remain vigilant about security and ensure they use strong, unique passwords for each of their accounts and enable two-factor authentication wherever possible.

“Be wary of any unexpected phone calls, messages or emails you receive, as scammers are likely to exploit this latest attack and may attempt to impersonate retailers, or even your bank. If you’re ever unsure who you’re speaking with, end the conversation immediately and contact the company directly. You can dial 159 to speak to your bank’s fraud team or use the number on the back of your card.”

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