Cookie Policy

1. What are cookies?

Cookies are small pieces of data that a website can store on your computer, mobile phone, tablet or other device when you visit a website.

Cookies can perform a variety of functions. They may allow a website to remember information during a browsing session, recognise that a user is logged in, maintain the contents of a shopping basket, remember preferences or help website operators understand how their websites are being used.

Some cookies last only for the duration of a browsing session and are removed when you close your browser. These are commonly known as session cookies.

Other cookies may remain on your device for a defined period or until you delete them. These are commonly known as persistent cookies.

2. Cookies and similar technologies

References to cookies in this policy may also include other technologies that store information on, or access information from, your device.

Depending on the technology used on our Website, these may include:

• browser local storage;
• session storage;
• tracking pixels;
• web beacons;
• scripts and tags;
• device or browser identifiers; and
• other similar storage or access technologies.

Where the same or similar legal requirements apply to these technologies, we will manage them in accordance with this Cookie Policy and applicable law.

3. Why we use cookies

GRP Express may use cookies and similar technologies for purposes including:

• operating and securing our Website;
• providing our ecommerce store;
• maintaining your shopping basket;
• supporting the checkout process;
• remembering your customer or trade account session;
• allowing users to sign in and remain signed in where appropriate;
• remembering website or account preferences;
• preventing fraud and unauthorised use;
• understanding how our Website performs;
• understanding how visitors use and navigate the Website;
• improving our products, services and digital experience;
• measuring the effectiveness of marketing where permitted; and
• supporting other Website features that you choose to use.

4. Categories of cookies

Strictly necessary and essential cookies

These cookies or technologies are required for important Website functions or to provide a service that you have requested.

They may be used for functions including website security, shopping baskets, checkout, account authentication and maintaining an active customer session.

Blocking essential cookies may prevent parts of the Website from working correctly and may prevent you from placing an order or accessing your account.

Functional cookies

Functional cookies may allow the Website to remember choices or preferences and provide enhanced functionality.

Depending on the feature, these may remember settings, preferences or other choices you have made when using the Website.

Analytics and performance cookies

Analytics and performance technologies may help us understand how visitors use the Website and how well the Website performs.

Information may include pages viewed, navigation patterns, approximate visit duration, technical information and information about how visitors arrived at the Website.

Marketing and advertising cookies

Where used, marketing technologies may help us understand the effectiveness of advertising or provide more relevant marketing.

These technologies will be used only where permitted by applicable law and subject to any consent or preference choices that apply.

5. Essential ecommerce cookies

GRP Express uses WooCommerce to provide ecommerce functionality. WooCommerce may set cookies required to support shopping basket and customer-session functions when you interact with the online store.

Core WooCommerce storefront cookies may include:

Additional WooCommerce cookies may be used where particular ecommerce features are enabled or when a customer interacts with those features.

The cookies used by the Website may therefore change as the functionality of the GRP Express store develops.

6. Customer and trade account cookies

Cookies and related technologies may be used when you create, access or use a GRP Express customer or trade account.

These technologies may support functions including:

• secure sign-in;
• account authentication;
• maintaining an active login session;
• preventing unauthorised account access;
• remembering account preferences;
• supporting saved baskets and projects;
• supporting faster reordering;
• providing account-specific functionality; and
• supporting trade-only purchasing tools.

Where an account feature cannot function without a particular cookie or storage technology, that technology may be treated as essential to the service requested by the account user.

7. Analytics and performance technologies

We may use analytics or performance technologies to understand how our Website is being used and to identify opportunities to improve the customer experience.

Depending on the tools enabled, information may include:

• pages visited;
• products or product categories viewed;
• navigation between pages;
• referring websites or sources;
• device and browser information;
• general Website performance information;
• shopping journey information; and
• aggregated or statistical information about Website usage.

Analytics and statistical technologies will be used in accordance with applicable privacy and electronic communications requirements. Where consent is required, the relevant technology will be subject to your consent choice. Where an applicable legal exception is relied upon, we will apply the requirements associated with that exception.

8. WordPress and Jetpack

The GRP Express Website is built using WordPress and may use Jetpack functionality.

WordPress and Jetpack functionality may use cookies or similar technologies for purposes including site administration, security, authentication, analytics or other enabled Website features.

The particular cookies used depend on the WordPress and Jetpack features that are active on the Website and on whether a visitor interacts with those features.

We periodically review the technologies operating on the Website and may update this Cookie Policy when features are introduced, removed or changed.

9. Marketing and advertising technologies

GRP Express may use marketing or advertising technologies to help measure campaigns, understand how visitors arrive at our Website or improve the relevance of our marketing.

Where marketing technologies involve storing information on or accessing information from your device, they will be used only where permitted under applicable law and subject to the relevant consent or preference controls.

We will not treat continued browsing of the Website by itself as consent where a positive consent action is legally required.

You can also opt out of direct marketing communications separately from cookie preferences. Further information is provided in our Privacy Policy.

10. Third-party cookies and technologies

Some Website functions may be provided by third-party service providers.

Depending on the services enabled on the GRP Express Website, third parties may provide technology relating to:

• payment processing;
• website hosting and performance;
• security and fraud prevention;
• analytics;
• embedded content;
• video or media;
• social media;
• customer communications; or
• marketing and advertising.

Where a third party sets its own cookies or operates its own technology, that organisation may be responsible for information it processes for its own purposes.

We recommend reviewing the privacy and cookie information provided by the relevant third party where appropriate.

11. Consent and managing your cookie preferences

When you first visit the Website, you may be presented with cookie or privacy controls that allow you to make choices about technologies that are not required for core Website functionality.

Where your consent is legally required, we will seek an appropriate positive choice before using the relevant non-exempt technology.

Where applicable law permits a technology to be used without consent, including where a relevant statutory exception applies, we may use that technology subject to the requirements of the applicable exception.

You may be able to review or change your cookie preferences using the cookie preferences or privacy control made available on the Website.

Changing your preferences does not necessarily remove cookies that have already been stored on your device. You may also need to delete existing cookies through your browser settings.

12. Managing cookies through your browser

Most web browsers allow you to view, manage, block or delete cookies through the browser’s privacy or security settings.

The controls available depend on the browser and device you use.

You can normally use your browser settings to:

• view cookies stored on your device;
• delete some or all cookies;
• block cookies from particular websites;
• block third-party cookies; or
• change how your browser handles cookies in the future.

Blocking all cookies may prevent some parts of the GRP Express Website and ecommerce store from operating correctly.

13. How long cookies remain on your device

The length of time a cookie remains on your device depends on the purpose and configuration of that cookie.

Session cookies normally expire when the relevant browsing session ends.

Persistent cookies may remain for a specified period unless you delete them sooner through your browser or device settings.

Where we control the duration of a cookie or similar technology, we aim to use a duration that is appropriate and proportionate to its purpose.

14. Changes to this Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the GRP Express Website, ecommerce store, trade account services, technology, service providers or applicable legal requirements.

When we update this Cookie Policy, we will publish the revised version on the Website and update the “Last updated” date shown at the top of the page.

Where the way we use cookies or similar technologies changes in a way that requires a new consent choice, we will take appropriate steps to request that choice.