Professor Sarah Montano and Dr Inci Toral, discuss the challenge M&S faces to win back its customers' trust.
“Do cyber-attacks threaten consumers’ data privacy? As M&S continues to grapple with the fallout from its recent cyber-attack, store availability is now becoming a concern, in addition to the suspension of its online operations. Unfortunately for M&S, the longer these disruptions persist, the longer the recovery and the harder it will be to regain customer trust.
"With online sales forming a major part of their business, customers are likely to start turning to other retailers to fulfil their needs. The challenge for M&S will be to win these customers back once the issue is resolved. Today’s consumers expect a shopping experience that is seamless, easy, and above all, safe. With customers now unable to shop both online and in-store, they may not only switch brands but also begin to question whether their data is secure and their purchases reliable.
"Following recent attacks on the Co-op and Harrods, it's clear that all retailers must take serious steps to protect customer data and maintain trust.”
Professor of Retail Marketing
Birmingham Business School
Sarah Montano is a Senior Lecturer in Marketing at Birmingham Business School, University of Birmingham, UK.
Associate Professor
Dr Inci Toral is an Associate Professor at Birmingham Business School, University of Birmingham.
