H&M’s retail websites are affected by a routine maintenance update that is taking longer than expected. According to the Swedish fashion retailer, the disruption on Wednesday, October 14, is not related to any external events or outside interference.
The website disruption comes as online platforms remain a key part of fashion retailers’ businesses, letting customers browse collections and place orders online. H&M’s statement indicates the issue is linked to ongoing maintenance rather than an external cause.
In a statement to Reuters, H&M said it was carrying out a routine maintenance update on its digital platforms. However, the work has taken longer than anticipated, affecting the availability of its retail websites.
The company said the disruption "is not related to any external events or external influence". The clarification addresses questions about the cause of the website availability issues, with H&M attributing them to the extended maintenance process.
The retailer did not provide a specific timeline in the statement Reuters cited for when the affected websites would return to normal availability.
Also Read: Ahold Cyberattack: Was Customer Data Stolen? Here’s What the Retailer Says
The temporary disruption has affected the availability of H&M’s retail websites, potentially preventing customers from accessing its online shopping services during the maintenance period.
H&M’s clarification distinguishes an operational issue caused by internal maintenance from a disruption linked to outside interference. The company said the current issue falls into the former category.
However, the statement provides no further technical details about the maintenance update or which specific parts of the retailer’s digital platforms are affected.
H&M’s immediate concern is completing the maintenance work and restoring normal website availability. The company has acknowledged that the update is taking longer than expected, but its statement did not specify when the process would be completed.
Customers trying to shop online will have access to the retailer’s digital platforms depending on how quickly the maintenance work is finished.
H&M has maintained that the disruption is not connected to external events or outside influence. Further details about the duration of the outage and the restoration of services were not available in the Reuters report published on Wednesday.