Cookies, analytics and traffic data

Cookies are small text files which are transferred from our websites, applications or services and stored on your device. We use cookies to help us provide you with a personalised service, and to help make our websites, applications and services better for you.

Our cookies may be session cookies (temporary cookies that identify and track users within our websites, applications or services  which are deleted when you close your browser or leave your session in the application or service) or persistent cookies (cookies which enable our websites, applications or services  to “remember” who you are and to remember your preferences within our websites, applications or services  and which will stay on your computer or device after you close your browser or leave your session in the application or service).

We use the following different types of cookies:

Strictly necessary cookies

These are cookies which are needed for our websites, applications or services to function properly, for example, these cookies allow you to access secure areas of our website or to remember what you have put into your shopping basket.

Performance cookies and analytics technologies

These cookies collect information about how visitors and users use our websites, applications and services, for instance which functionality visitors use most often, and if they get error messages from areas of the websites, applications or services. These cookies don’t collect information that identifies a visitor or user. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. We only use these cookies to improve how our website, applications and services work.

Functionality cookies

These cookies allow our websites, applications and services to remember choices you make (such as your user name, language or the region you are in) and provide enhanced, more personal features. These cookies can also be used to remember changes you have made to text size, fonts and other parts of web pages that you can customise. They may also be used to provide services you have asked for. The information these cookies collect may be anonymised and they cannot track your browsing activity on other websites.

Targeting or advertising cookies

These cookies are used to deliver adverts more relevant to you and your interests. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement as well as help measure the effectiveness of the advertising campaign. They are usually placed by advertising networks with the website operators’ permission. They remember that you have visited a website and this information is shared with other organisations such as advertisers. Quite often targeting or advertising cookies will be linked to site functionality provided by the other organisation.

Web beacons and parameter tracking

We also use cookies and similar software known as web beacons to count users who have visited our website after clicking through from one of our advertisements on another website or in emails and to collect details of any products or services purchased. These web beacons collect limited information which does not identify particular individuals. It is not possible to refuse the use of web beacons. However, because they are used in conjunction with cookies, you can effectively disable them by setting your browser to restrict or block cookies.

IP Address and traffic data

We keep a record of traffic data which is logged automatically by our servers, such as your Internet Protocol (IP) address, device information, the website that you visited before ours and the website you visit after leaving our site. We also collect some site, application and service statistics such as access rates, page hits and page views. We are not able to identify any individual from traffic data or site statistics.

Find out more about the individual cookies and analytics technologies that we use.

Description	Purpose
Google analytics	Google Analytics uses « cookies », to help the website analyse how users use the websites, applications or services. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the websites, applications or services (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the websites, applications or services compiling reports on website activity for website operators and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage. Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google’s behalf. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser or within the application, however please note that if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website. By using our websites, applications or services you consent to the processing of data about you by Google in the manner and for the purposes set out above. To find out more, see “How Google uses data when you use our partners’ sites or apps”, (located at www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners, or any other URL Google may provide from time to time). To opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics across all websites visit: http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout

How to disable cookies

You may be able to configure your browser or our website, application or service to restrict cookies or block all cookies if you wish, however if you disable cookies you may find this affects your ability to use certain parts of our website, applications or services. For more information about cookies and instructions on how to adjust your browser settings to accept, delete or reject cookies, see the www.youronlinechoices.co.ukallaboutcookies.org website.