Following ‘security incident’ Victoria’s Secret postpones publication of quarterly figures

Last week, US lingerie retailer Victoria’s Secret & Co. (VS) was forced to temporarily suspend its online business following a ‘security incident affecting its IT systems’. Media reports indicated the company had fallen victim to a hacker attack. On Tuesday, the group provided an initial overview of the consequences of the suspected attack.

It system work continues

As a ‘precautionary measure’, VS closed its e-commerce website and shut down its IT system on May 26, according to a statement. The online shop was reportedly back in operation on May 29, and the ‘limited’ impact on the stores of the Victoria’s Secret and Pink brands has also been resolved. However, the company said it continues to work to restore ‘full access’ to its own IT system.

According to the group, ‘certain systems and information’ are unavailable to employees due to the ongoing measures. As a result, the company postponed the publication of its results for the first quarter of the 2025/26 financial year, originally scheduled for Thursday. A new date will be announced ‘in due course’, according to a statement.

Preliminary results exceed expectations

The lingerie retailer also presented preliminary figures for the first quarter, which ended on May 3. These were surprisingly positive. Net sales were 1.35 billion dollars, exceeding forecasts, and adjusted operating profit was also unexpectedly high at 32 million dollars. Adjusted diluted earnings per share were 0.09 dollars, at the upper end of the target range of -0.10 dollars to +0.10 dollars.

The company also stated that it is currently investigating the ‘full extent’ of the recent security incident and its impact. The incident did not lead to ‘significant operational disruptions’, but did result in additional costs and could lead to further expenses, the group said. These additional burdens could ‘negatively affect’ future results from the second quarter onwards.