The owner of Hobbs, Phase Eight, and Whistles has become the latest major fashion retailer to be hit by a cyberattack. The Foschini Group (TFG) confirmed that its UK business, TFG London, discovered the incident on October 11, leaving several IT systems offline and disrupting customer orders across the three brands.
Although physical stores remain open, the company said some website functions may be unavailable while its investigation continues. Customers have been warned that orders placed on or after Sunday could be delayed, and TFG has apologized for the disruption while promising further updates as appropriate.
TFG says it activated its incident-response and business-continuity plans immediately, brought in external cybersecurity specialists, and notified UK authorities. The Information Commissioner’s Office confirmed it has received a breach report from TFG Brands (London) Limited and is assessing the information provided.
There is some reassurance for shoppers: TFG London said payment processing is handled by a third party and that, based on its investigation so far, it has no reason to believe payment information is at risk. However, the company is still determining whether other personal or sensitive customer data has been compromised and says it will notify affected individuals or organizations if evidence of a breach emerges.
The company has not yet explained how attackers gained access, whether ransomware was involved, or when systems will be fully restored. TFG added that its White Stuff and Inside Story businesses, along with its African and Australian operations, are unaffected because they run on separate IT systems.
The attack follows a difficult stretch for fashion retail. Last week, ASOS disclosed that an attacker impersonated a trusted contact to obtain an employee’s login credentials and access third-party platforms containing customer names and contact details. H&M is also reportedly investigating claims involving the ShinyHunters group, though it says it has found no indication that its systems were compromised.
No evidence currently connects the TFG London, ASOS, and H&M incidents, and H&M has not confirmed a breach. Still, three prominent fashion businesses facing cyber trouble in just over a week suggests that retailers remain highly attractive targets for criminals seeking customer data, operational disruption, or leverage. For TFG, the immediate priority is restoring services and establishing the scope of the incident. For customers, the case is a reminder that even when payment details appear safe, retailers may hold substantial personal information whose exposure can take days or weeks to fully assess.
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