Hannaford’s website and app have been shut down for hours after the chain’s parent company said a cybersecurity incident is affecting its grocery chains across the country and in Europe.
The stores are still open, and anyone can shop in person. But because some of the online systems are down, customers said they aren’t able to access some of the features that they have become used to.
“I place my order online and I pick it up usually,” said customer Mary Gagne-Hall.
With online ordering down on Tuesday, Gagne-Hall did something she hasn’t done in a while: shop for her own groceries in person.
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“I usually don’t shop in the store,” she said. “I’m really busy. Time is money, and it’s easier for me to just place the order and pick it up and have them bring it out to me.”
Hannaford posted a message on its website saying the website and app are currently unavailable because of the cybersecurity incident.
“My information was stolen once at a Hannaford years ago and got used in Albany, New York,” said customer Nancy Ferree, of Manchester.
It’s unclear if any customer data was affected, but Ahold Delhaize, Hannaford’s parent company, said it took some systems offline as a precaution while it investigates the issue.
The company operates several other grocery chains, including Stop & Shop and Food Lion.
“The first thing is to stay calm,” said cybersecurity expert Peter Tran. “And there’s no need to panic in these situations because cybersecurity has gone a long way since waiting for a breach to happen.”
Tran said disruptions like this can happen when companies take precautionary steps to protect their systems. He said there are simple steps shoppers can take to help protect their devices.
“If you’re a Hannaford mobile app user, always make sure your app is updated,” he said. “You can go to your app store on your phone and look up Hannaford. Make sure it’s updated.”
The investigation is ongoing, and the company has not said what caused the issue. There was no word on when services would be restored.
