Last Updated: 8th January 2025
WHAT ARE COOKIES? (AND WHY WE’RE NOT TALKING ABOUT BISCUITS)
Cookies are tiny text files that websites stick on your device (phone, laptop, tablet) when you visit them. They help the site remember who you are, what you did, and what you put in your basket.
They’re called cookies because… honestly, some tech nerd in the 90s thought it was clever. We’re stuck with the name now.
Important: These are digital files, not actual cookies. Eating your phone won’t help.
WHY WE USE COOKIES
We use cookies to:
Keep your shopping basket from vanishing when you click around
Remember if you’ve logged into your account
Understand how people use our site (so we can make it less shit)
Show you relevant content and ads (if you’ve consented)
Make sure the site actually works
Without cookies, our site would have the memory of a goldfish. You’d add something to your basket, click to another page, and it’d be gone. Nightmare.
TYPES OF COOKIES WE USE
1. ESSENTIAL COOKIES (THE “WE ACTUALLY NEED THESE” ONES)
What they do: Keep the site functioning – shopping cart, checkout, login, security
Can you disable them? Technically yes, but the site won’t work properly. It’d be like trying to drive a car with no wheels.
Examples:
Session cookies (remember what’s in your basket)
Security cookies (stop hackers from messing with your account)
Load balancing cookies (make sure the site doesn’t crash)
Legal basis: Legitimate interest (we literally need these to provide the service you’re asking for)
2. ANALYTICS COOKIES (THE “HELP US NOT BE SHIT” ONES)
What they do: Tell us how people use our site – which pages they visit, how long they stay, where they bounce off
Why we use them: So we can fix problems, improve the experience, and figure out if our new product pages are actually working
What we use: Google Analytics (anonymised data)
Can you disable them? Yes. We won’t cry about it (much).
What we DON’T do: Track your personal identity or sell this data. It’s all anonymous numbers to us.
Legal basis: Your consent (which we ask for when you visit)
3. MARKETING / ADVERTISING COOKIES (THE “THESE HELP PAY THE BILLS” ONES)
What they do: Track whether ads are working, show you relevant content, remember if you’ve already seen an ad
Why we use them: So we’re not wasting ad budget showing you the same thing 47 times, and so we can figure out which ads actually work
Examples:
Facebook Pixel (if we’re running Facebook/Instagram ads)
Google Ads tracking
Retargeting cookies (show you our stuff after you’ve left the site)
Can you disable them? Absolutely. Your choice.
Legal basis: Your explicit consent (we ask before using these)
4. PREFERENCE COOKIES (THE “REMEMBER ME” ONES)
What they do: Remember your preferences – language, region, size preferences, etc.
Why we use them: So you don’t have to keep selecting the same options every time you visit
Can you disable them? Yes, but you’ll have to set your preferences every single time you visit
Legal basis: Your consent
HOW LONG DO COOKIES LAST?
Session cookies: Disappear when you close your browser
Persistent cookies: Stick around for a set period (anywhere from 24 hours to 2 years, depending on the cookie)
We don’t keep cookies longer than necessary. Once they’ve done their job, they’re gone.
THIRD-PARTY COOKIES
Some cookies aren’t set by us – they’re set by third-party services we use:
Google Analytics – Tracks site usage (anonymised)
Stripe – Processes payments securely
Facebook/Instagram – If we’re running ads (only if you’ve consented)
SiteGround – Our hosting provider (essential technical cookies)
These companies have their own privacy policies. We don’t control their cookies, but we only work with GDPR-compliant services.
HOW TO MANAGE OR DISABLE COOKIES
OPTION 1: USE OUR COOKIE BANNER
When you first visit our site, you’ll see a cookie banner asking for your consent. You can:
Accept all cookies
Reject non-essential cookies
Customise your preferences
You can change your mind anytime by clicking the cookie settings link in our footer.
OPTION 2: CHANGE YOUR BROWSER SETTINGS
All browsers let you manage cookies. Here’s how:
Google Chrome:
Settings > Privacy and Security > Cookies and other site data
Firefox:
Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data
Safari:
Preferences > Privacy > Manage Website Data
Edge:
Settings > Cookies and site permissions
Warning: If you disable all cookies, our site might not work properly (shopping cart, checkout, login will all be buggered).
OPTION 3: USE BROWSER PLUGINS
Tools like Privacy Badger, Ghostery, or uBlock Origin can block tracking cookies automatically.
DO NOT TRACK (DNT) SIGNALS
Some browsers have a “Do Not Track” setting. Unfortunately, there’s no industry standard for how websites should respond to it, so most sites (including ours) don’t currently honour it.
Better option: Use our cookie banner or browser settings to control cookies directly.
COOKIES AND YOUR PRIVACY
We don’t:
Sell cookie data to third parties
Use cookies to identify you personally (analytics are anonymous)
Track you across unrelated websites (we’re not Facebook)
We do:
Use cookies to improve your experience
Respect your cookie preferences
Only use marketing cookies if you’ve consented
For full details on how we handle your data, check our Privacy Policy.
CHANGES TO THIS POLICY
We might update this policy if:
We start using new cookies
Laws change
We add new features to the site
If we make changes:
We’ll update the “Last Updated” date at the top
We’ll notify you via the site or email if it’s a major change
QUESTIONS ABOUT COOKIES?
Email team@herosthread.com – We reply faster than your New Year’s resolutions fade.
Got a question about cookies, tracking, or why websites can’t just work without this nonsense? Get in touch. We actually read our emails.
HERO’S THREAD LTD
Registered in England & Wales
Registration number: 16523672
www.herosthread.com