Marks & Spencer Reports Money Loss After Computer Attack

May 15, 2026, 15:17
UKFinance

Introduction

Marks & Spencer will give a report on May 20. They will talk about their money and their business after a big computer attack.

Main Body

The attack started at Easter. The company stopped online sales for six weeks. They had no products in some stores. This cost the company about £136 million. The company made £654 million in profit. This is 25% less than last year. Some experts think the profit will go up to £920 million next year if things stay the same. However, prices are high and people buy fewer clothes. Also, wars in other countries make things difficult. Because of this, the company's share price is very low.

Conclusion

The company is trying to fix the problems from the computer attack and the bad economy.

Learning

📉 Talking about 'More' and 'Less'

In this story, we see how a company describes their money. For an A2 learner, the most important thing here is how to compare things using Less and Fewer.

1. Using 'Less' (for things we cannot count) We use less for money, time, or water.

  • Example from text: "25% less than last year."
  • Pattern: [Amount] → less → [Comparison]

2. Using 'Fewer' (for things we can count) We use fewer for clothes, people, or books.

  • Example from text: "people buy fewer clothes."
  • Pattern: [Action] → fewer → [Plural Object]

Quick Guide: Which one do I use?

WordUse it for...Example
LessMoney/ProfitLess money →\rightarrow Sad face ☹️
FewerItems/ObjectsFewer shirts →\rightarrow Sad face ☹️

Vocabulary Learning

attack
an act of violence or an attempt to damage something
Example:The company faced a cyber attack that shut down its online sales.
computer
an electronic device that processes information
Example:The computer was used to track the company's profit.
online
connected to or available through the internet
Example:Customers could buy clothes online, but the site was down.
sales
the activity of selling goods or services
Example:Sales dropped by 25% after the attack.
product
an item made or sold for use
Example:The store had no products on the shelves during the outage.
store
a place where goods are sold
Example:Some stores were empty because they had no products.
cost
to require an amount of money to be paid
Example:The attack cost the company about £136 million.
profit
money made after expenses are paid
Example:The company made £654 million in profit last year.
price
the amount of money required to buy something
Example:The share price fell because of the bad economy.
buy
to purchase something
Example:People buy fewer clothes when prices are high.
war
a conflict between countries or groups
Example:Wars in other countries make things difficult for businesses.
economy
the system of production, distribution, and consumption of goods
Example:The bad economy is affecting the company's share price.