Empty shelves have been reported in Co-ops across Tayside and Stirlingshire after cyber attacks affected deliveries.
The Co-op is one of several retailers, including Marks & Spencer and Harrods, to have been hit by hacks on their IT systems in recent weeks.
It has resulted in a lack of fresh products on the stores’ shelves.
By Tuesday night, Co-op shoppers had been left frustrated by a lack of fresh and frozen products.
Co-op empty shelves ‘worse than during Covid’
One shopper in Kirrriemuir said: “I went to get potatoes for my tea on Tuesday and was absolutely shocked at the state of the shop.
“It’s no exaggeration to say the shelves and freezers were almost totally empty – it was worse than during Covid.
“There was barely any fresh fruit and veg – I got literally the last bag of new potatoes.
“There was a row of empty freezers and dairy and bakery products were also very scarce.”
An elderly shopper in the Kirriemuir store said: “It was like this in the morning on Tuesday so I came back at tea-time thinking they would have had a delivery, but it was much, much worse.
“We have so few shops in the town that if the Co-op runs out it will be very concerning.
“I rely on buses and I would have to go to Forfar for a shop.
“Carrying heavy shopping home on the bus isn’t any fun.”
A staff member in the Kirriemuir store confirmed it had been affected by the cyber attack.
They said: “We have had very little in the way of a delivery.
“Normally we would get 40 crates of supplies; today we got four.”
They said there was no indication when the next delivery would arrive.
Signs in Auchterarder warn of lack of products
In Perthshire, an Auchterarder shopper said: “I went in at around 10.30am on Tuesday.
“There were lots of signs around the store, from right at the front door, saying that there were availability issues with some items and that they hope to resolve them soon.
“There was practically nothing in the fruit and veg section, very little in the bread section – including no freshly baked baguettes and loaves – and a few of the fridge and freezer cabinets were empty.
“Other parts looked normal, but there were some gaps on shelves.”
They added: “There was no mention of the cyber attack; it just seemed like they were waiting on a delivery.
“I managed to get a couple of the things I needed but I ended up going to another shop for the rest.”
Aberfoyle shopper ‘couldn’t believe how empty the shelves were’
The Co-op in Aberfoyle in Stirlingshire was also affected.
“I went in the Co-op on Sunday as I hoped to get some strawberries for my salad,” a shopper said.
“I couldn’t believe how empty the shelves were.
“There was hardly any fruit or vegetables to be seen – though somehow I found one of the last two boxes of strawberries left.
“I thought it was just me who noticed it, but I also heard other people remarking about the empty shelves.”
‘Sustained malicious attempts’ by hackers
A Co-op spokesperson said: “All our stores are open and trading.
“However, due to the sustained malicious attempts by hackers to access our systems, we have taken proactive steps to keep our systems safe, which is temporarily impacting our colleagues’ ability to perform their roles and how many deliveries we can make to our stores.
“This means that some of our stores might not have all of their usual products available and we would like to say sorry to our members and customers if this is the case in their local store.
“We are working around the clock to reduce disruption and resume deliveries. “
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