The second quarter was a particularly difficult period due to a multitude of events. Disruptions to banking systems and the economic downturn hurt overall economic performance and consumer spending. International food and energy price hikes, sparked by the Russia-Ukraine war, further squeezed the market. To make matters worse, a major internal IT outage resulted in significant data loss and business disruption, taking months to recover from and causing trading disruptions as well.
Despite these headwinds, the Group demonstrated agility and resilience. We implemented contingency plans, prioritized business continuity, and adapted to the evolving circumstances.