starbucks bloomberg
A Starbucks store in New York, USA. Photo: Bloomberg

Blue Yonder, a supply chain management software provider owned by Panasonic, said on November 25 that its systems were disrupted due to a ransomware attack on November 21.

Starbucks is among the customers using Blue Yonder software to track shifts and employee attendance in North America.

As a result, stores have had to switch to manual methods like paper and pen for timekeeping, according to a Starbucks spokesperson.

However, the incident did not affect the chain's operations. The Blue Yonder breach affected stores in the United States and Canada.

In a message to employees, Starbucks said Blue Yonder has not provided a specific time frame for when the issue might be resolved.

Marina Renneke, a spokeswoman for Blue Yonder, said it is working with security companies to speed up the system recovery process.

According to CNN , several grocery chains in the UK have taken measures to deal with the incident.

Responding to Bloomberg News , a representative of the Morrisons chain said the Blue Yonder incident affected warehouse management systems but stores were operating well thanks to backup systems.

The Sainsbury chain also uses Blue Yonder software but has not been affected as it has an alternative solution. The Asda chain has given a similar response.

Blue Yonder's customers operate in a variety of industries such as manufacturing, grocery, logistics, automotive, and restaurants.

(According to Bloomberg)