Rituals, the Netherlands-based cosmetics company, has confirmed a data breach that has compromised the personal information of its customers after hackers unlawfully accessed its membership database. The company disclosed the incident on Wednesday via an email to affected customers, which has been verified by TechCrunch.
The breach was discovered in April, when Rituals found that hackers had conducted an “unauthorized download” of sensitive member data, which includes customers’ full names, dates of birth, genders, postal and email addresses, phone numbers, preferred stores, and account types.
The company’s spokesperson, Eline van Malssen, indicated that while the primary focus was on customers in Europe and the United Kingdom, some individuals in the United States have also been impacted. However, specifics about the number of affected customers or the nature of the cyberattack have not been disclosed, with the company citing security concerns for this reticence.
Rituals is amidst an investigation to understand how this breach occurred, as they join the ranks of numerous retailers that have faced similar threats in recent times. Notably, companies like Co-op and Marks & Spencer in the UK have also reported breaches affecting customer membership data. Such data thefts are particularly appealing to hackers, who may utilise stolen information for ransom or to publish sensitive data online.
When approached for further details, Rituals declined to clarify if they had received any communication from the hackers or to provide a more defined timeline regarding the breach. Despite the lack of specific figures, it is known that Rituals operates a membership database containing over 41 million customers and, as reported on their website, generated €2.4 billion (approximately $2.8 billion) in revenue in 2025.
This incident underscores the ongoing vulnerabilities faced by companies in safeguarding customer data and highlights the need for robust cybersecurity measures in an era where digital threats are increasingly prevalent.
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