Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Human content, AI powered search.
Latest Stories

Some Spar stores in north England forced to close due to online attack

SPAR stores under James Hall & Co. Ltd.
Burscough SPAR and forecourt - James Hall & Co. Ltd
john kay
Kiran Paul
By Kiran PaulDec 06, 2021
Kiran Paul
See Full Bio

Some Spar stores have been forced to close because of an online attack, the company said on Monday.

"There has been an online attack on our IT systems which is affecting stores' ability to process card payments, meaning that a number of SPAR stores are currently closed," the company said on Twitter. "We apologise for any inconvenience, we are working as quickly as possible to resolve the situation."

According to reports, more than 300 stores in the north of England have been hit, forcing many of them to close. The few stores that opened were accepting cash as the outage prevented staff from taking card payments.

James Hall & Company, the SPAR distributor for north of England, said on Twitter: “James Hall & Company are currently aware of an online attack on it's IT system. This has not affected all SPAR stores across the North of England, but a number have been impacted over the past 24 hours and we are working to resolve this situation as quickly as possible.”

The website of James Hall has been down as of Monday evening.

Lawrence Hunt & Co Ltd, independent SPAR retailer with 25 stores around Lancashire, said there was “no time set to be back online”.

“Unfortunately due to a total IT outage affecting all our stores we have had to remain closed all day Sunday with no time set to be back on line - our apologies for the massive inconvenience to all our customers and store teams,” the retailer said on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/lawrencehunts/status/1467523631437828099

james hallspar

Related News

More for you

A woman enters the Selfridges department store

A woman enters the Selfridges department store on December 13, 2024 in London, England

Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images

Retail faces mixed fortunes in 2025 amid cost pressures, AI opportunities, and high street revival


The UK retail sector is bracing for a challenging but opportunity-filled 2025, according to Jacqui Baker, head of retail at RSM UK. While the industry grapples with rising costs and heightened crime, advancements in artificial intelligence and a revival of the high street offer potential pathways to growth, she said.

Keep ReadingShow less
unsafe soft drinks seized in Southend

Unsafe soft drinks seized in Southend

Photo: Southend-on-Sea City Council

1,100 unsafe soft drinks seized in Southend safety crackdown

Southend-on-Sea City Council officials have secured food condemnation orders from Chelmsford Magistrates Court, resulting in the seizure and destruction of 1,100 unauthorised soft drinks.

The condemned drinks, including Mountain Dew, 7-UP, Mirinda, and G Fuel energy drinks, were found during routine inspections of food businesses across Southend by the council’s environmental health officers.

Keep ReadingShow less
Charity Super.Mkt at Brent Cross Shopping centre in north London

A customer browses clothes inside Charity Super.Mkt at Brent Cross Shopping centre in north London on, December 17, 2024

Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images

Brits kindle Christmas spirit with second-hand gifts

Bursting with customers one afternoon the week before Christmas, a second-hand charity shop in London's Marylebone High Street looked even busier than the upscale retailers surrounding it.

One man grabbed two puzzle sets and a giant plush toy as a present for friends, another picked out a notebook for his wife.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nothing is more important than your Mental Elf

Nothing is more important than your Mental Elf

Lancashire Mind’s 11th Mental Elf fun run was its biggest and best yet – a sell-out event with more than 400 people running and walking in aid of the mental charity, plus dozens more volunteering to make the day a huge success.

The winter sun shone on Worden Park in Leyland as families gathered for either a 5K course, a 2K run, or a Challenge Yours’Elf distance which saw many people running 10K with the usual running gear replaced with jazzy elf leggings, tinsel and Christmas hats.

Keep ReadingShow less
A woman walks past a window display promoting an ongoing sale

A woman walks past a window display promoting an ongoing sale, on December 13, 2024 in London, England.

Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images

Retail sales disappoint before Christmas

UK retail sales rose less than expected in the runup to Christmas, according to official data Friday that deals a fresh blow to government hopes of growing the economy.

Separate figures revealed a temporary reprieve for prime minister Keir Starmer, however, as public borrowing fell sharply in November.

Keep ReadingShow less