Cybersecurity Attack Hits Stop & Shop, MA Customers Find Empty Shelves

MASSACHUSETTS — Customers who've hoped to knock out their grocery shopping early this week may have run into some trouble at Stop & Shop locations in Massachusetts.

On Friday, officials from Stop & Shop's parent company, Ahold Delhaize USA, said they recently detected a cybersecurity issue within its U.S. network.

They added, "Immediately upon detecting the issue, our security teams began an investigation with the assistance of external cybersecurity experts. We also notified law enforcement."

To combat the issue, some systems had to be taken offline "to help protect them," Ahold officials said.

They added, "This issue and subsequent mitigating actions have affected certain Ahold Delhaize USA brands and services, including a number of pharmacies and certain e-commerce operations."

This cybersecurity attack has affected stores across New England, with some customers reporting issues with online ordering and more noticing that stock at their local stores is limited.

A shopper in Bellingham, Mass., shared on Monday that her store had barren shelves for two consecutive days. Another, who posted in a community group for Greenfield, Mass., shared that produce, deli and meat aisles had limited stock. Somerset shoppers were met with the same situation on Monday.

Said store officials, "Each of Ahold Delhaize USA's brands' stores are open and serving customers. We will continue to take actions to further protect our systems. The security of our customers, associates and partners is a top priority. We apologize for any inconvenience this issue may have caused customers and partners."