The Foschini Group (TFG), owner of Hobbs and Whistles, reported a cyber incident affecting its UK operations, including Phase Eight, Hobbs and Whistles. As of Reuters’ October 13, 2026 report, certain UK IT systems were disrupted and several remained unavailable. Whether any personal or other sensitive information was compromised was still under investigation; no data breach had been confirmed.
What happened
TFG said its UK operations detected the incident over the weekend, Reuters reported on October 13, 2026. The company said the incident disrupted certain IT systems, with several systems across its UK operations still unavailable at the time of reporting. Reuters’ report was carried by StreetInsider and KSL.com. These are two placements of the same Reuters report, not separate investigations.
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Which brands and regions are affected?
The reported scope is TFG’s UK operations, including Phase Eight, Hobbs and Whistles. Reuters reported that TFG’s operations in Africa and Australia were unaffected at that time. That describes the reported situation on October 13, 2026; it is not a guarantee about later developments or every part of TFG’s international business.
Was customer or employee information compromised?
That remained unknown in the latest reporting. TFG was investigating whether personal or other sensitive information had been compromised. The reports do not establish that information was accessed, stolen, or exposed, so it would be inaccurate to call this a confirmed customer-data breach.
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What response has TFG reported?
TFG London engaged external cybersecurity specialists to contain the incident and informed all relevant UK authorities, according to Reuters. The reports do not identify the attack method, responsible actor, entry point, specific affected systems, or a recovery timetable.
What customers can do
The available reporting does not say whether the Hobbs or Whistles websites or customer services were affected, and it provides no specific customer instructions. Customers with concerns should rely on direct updates from the relevant brand or TFG rather than assume that online services are either fully available or compromised. If an official notice later confirms exposure or recommends steps such as changing a password, follow that guidance and use a unique password for each account.
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What is still to be established
- Whether personal or other sensitive information was exposed.
- Which specific systems were affected and when they would return to service.
- How the incident began and who was responsible.
- Whether the reported scope or system status changed after October 13, 2026.
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