London Drugs closes stores until further notice due to cyberattack

Retail and pharmacy chain London Drugs says it was the "victim of a cybersecurity incident" Sunday and has shuttered its stores across Western Canada until further notice.

The retailer, which is headquartered in B.C., says the closure is out of "an abundance of caution" and that it immediately took measures to counter the attack once it was discovered.

"At this time, we have no reason to believe that customer or employee data has been impacted," the company said in a statement emailed to CBC News around 5:30 p.m. PT on Sunday.

The chain says pharmacists would still support customers with urgent pharmacy needs, but anyone seeking information should call their local pharmacy to make arrangements.

"Pharmacists are standing by to support any customers with urgent pharmacy needs," the statement read.

London Drugs initially confirmed the closure of its stores in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. In a post on Facebook, the company said the closure would not be permanent.

In a previous statement to CBC News Sunday afternoon, the retailer had said the closures were caused by an "operational issue."

CBC News spoke to staff at a location in Kamloops, B.C. earlier in the day, who said they were experiencing a "computer issue," which meant the store could not assist customers.

London Drugs said it has retained third-party experts to help contain, fix and forensically investigate the incident.

"We want to assure you that this incident is of the utmost priority for us," the company said in its statement, thanking customers for their patience and promising to update them as it progressed in resolving the issue.

The retailer operates nearly 80 stores across B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, with more than 50 of them in B.C.