Victoria’s Secret to delay earnings report due to security breach

Victoria’s Secret has announced that it will be delaying the release of its quarterly earnings due to a recent security breach that caused disruptions to the operations of the well-known lingerie brand. This breach led to the U.S. shopping site being taken down by the company for several days last week. First detected on May 24th, Victoria’s Secret described the security incident as involving its information technology systems. In response, the brand engaged with third-party experts to contain and eradicate unauthorized network access, prompting them to temporarily shut down corporate systems and their retail website on May 26th as a precautionary measure. The U.S. Victoria’s Secret website remained offline for an extended period until late Thursday, causing inconvenience to shoppers.

While not confirmed as a cyberattack involving ransomware by Victoria’s Secret, analysts noted that the incident bore similarities to such attacks, which retailers commonly face today. As a result, the disruptions caused by the security breach impacted the operations of Victoria’s Secret. In-store services at Victoria’s Secret and Pink were also affected by the breach, but most functions have been restored by the company as of Tuesday.

The lingerie retailer is still in the process of fully restoring access to its corporate systems, which has resulted in the delay of its first-quarter earnings. Employees have faced challenges in accessing certain systems and information necessary to finalize the financial report. Despite this setback, preliminary results for the first quarter of 2025 indicate net sales of $1.35 billion and an adjusted operating income of $32 million, surpassing the previously-issued guidance. Analysts anticipate sales of around $1.33 billion, according to FactSet survey data. Although no new date has been supplied for the earnings announcement yet, Victoria’s Secret assured that the breach did not affect its first-quarter results, with the disruption occurring after the period ended.

The security incident that affected Victoria’s Secret is part of a growing trend of companies encountering breaches that disrupt operations and expose customer data. Other prominent retailers, including Marks & Spencer, Harrods, and Co-op, have disclosed being targeted by cyberattacks recently. Mark & Spencer’s experience with a cyberattack impaired the processing of online orders and resulted in empty store shelves. These incidents underscore the ongoing threat of cybersecurity breaches in the retail sector, prompting heightened vigilance among businesses to safeguard their operations and customer information.