Cyberattack hits Hobbs, Whistles and Phase Eight owner TFG London
TFG London apologised to customers after a cybersecurity incident knocked out IT systems at fashion brands Hobbs, Whistles and Phase Eight, days after a similar attack on Asos.
TFG London, the UK retailer that owns fashion brands Hobbs, Whistles and Phase Eight, apologised to customers after a cyberattack knocked out some of its IT systems, the company said. South African parent group The Foschini Group said it first became aware of the incident on Sunday, 11 October.
Stores for the three brands remain open and trading, though some website functions are unavailable while the investigation continues, TFG London said. Other high street brands it owns, including Inside Story and White Stuff, were not affected, nor were the group's operations in Africa and Australia, which run on separate systems.
The company said it does not yet know whether customer data has been compromised, but that there is "no reason to believe that payment information is at risk." It said it would notify affected individuals or organisations if the investigation found personal data had been exposed, and that it had reported the incident to the relevant UK authorities. TFG London said it is working with external cybersecurity specialists to resolve the issue and will give customers further updates as appropriate.
The attack comes a week after online fashion retailer Asos said an unauthorised party had gained access to some customers' personal data, including names and contact details, in an incident Asos linked to a breach at data storage firm Snowflake; Snowflake later said the breach was not caused by a flaw in its own platform. Swedish retailer H&M also said this week it was investigating a possible cybersecurity incident, reportedly involving a group called Shinyhunters, according to the Times.
Shinyhunters has previously claimed responsibility for a cyberattack on Jaguar Land Rover last summer, working alongside other hacking groups known as Scattered Spider and Lapsus, the Daily Mirror reported.
Marijus Briedis, chief technology officer at cybersecurity firm NordVPN, said British retailers were becoming frequent targets for hackers. He said the attack on TFG London, coming so soon after the Asos incident, was another sign that the retail sector was firmly in hackers' sights, and that such attacks were likely to recur.
What we know
- 1 outlet · Evening Standard, Yorkshire Post +2 TFG London, owner of Hobbs, Whistles and Phase Eight, said a cyberattack identified on Sunday, 11 October, knocked out some of its IT systems.
- 1 outlet · Evening Standard, Yorkshire Post +2 The company says it has no reason to believe payment information is at risk, and has reported the incident to UK authorities.
- 1 outlet · Evening Standard, Yorkshire Post +2 Stores remain open, though some website functions are affected; other TFG brands and overseas operations were not affected.
- 1 outlet · Evening Standard, Daily Mirror +1 The attack follows a similar incident at Asos a week earlier and a reported cybersecurity probe at H&M this week.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
The incident is the latest in a run of cyberattacks on UK and European retailers in a matter of weeks, following Asos and a reported incident under investigation at H&M. A cybersecurity expert quoted by the Daily Mirror said British retailers are becoming frequent targets, pointing to a pattern of repeated attacks on the sector rather than an isolated case.
Sources
Reported by 6 reports from 6 independent outlets in 3 countries.
- Evening Standard: TFG London: Cyberattack hits UK fashion brands Hobbs, Whistles and Phase Eight
- Yorkshire Post: Cyber attack on Hobbs and Whistles owner: Fashion brands apologise to customers
- Daily Mirror: Phase Eight, Hobbs and Whistles owner TFG London hit by cyber attack - just days after ASOS hack
- BBC News: Phase Eight and Hobbs owner hit by cyber-attack, as H&M probes separate hack claim
- Evening Standard: What is Russell Brand accused of? List of charges facing comedian as London trial gets under way
Source balance
PremiumSee how the 6 outlets behind this story spread from left to right, and which are official or OSINT sources.
Free during the launch: create an account →Log inHow we rate sources
Intelligence file
PremiumSee how we verified this story
Confidence and impact scores, 5 more sources, the full situation report and the event timeline.
Launch offer: free for members until 31 October 2026
Questions and answers
- Which brands were affected?
- Hobbs, Whistles and Phase Eight, all owned by TFG London; other TFG-owned brands such as Inside Story and White Stuff were not affected.
- Is customer payment data at risk?
- TFG London said it has no reason to believe payment information is at risk, though it has not ruled out that other personal data may have been accessed.
- Has this happened to other retailers recently?
- Yes. Asos said it was hacked a week earlier, and H&M said this week it was investigating a possible cybersecurity incident.
This article was written with AI assistance from 10 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.