COOKIE POLICY – DOWNTON HOME FURNISHINGS LTD
This Cookie Policy explains how Downton Home Furnishings Ltd (“we”, “us”, “our”) uses cookies and similar tracking technologies on our website, www.downtonhome.com, and in connection with our online services. It should be read alongside our Privacy Policy, which sets out further details about how we use your personal information and your rights under data protection law. By continuing to browse and use our website, you agree to our use of cookies as described in this policy.
Cookies are small text files placed on your device (computer, smartphone, tablet, or another internet-enabled device) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites function efficiently and provide valuable information to website owners about how visitors use their sites. Some cookies are strictly necessary for the operation of our website, while others help us enhance your experience by remembering your preferences, analysing usage, and tailoring content or advertising.
We use cookies for various purposes to ensure you have the best possible shopping experience:
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Strictly Necessary / Essential Cookies – required for the basic operation of the website, such as navigation, secure checkout, and payment processing. These cookies are essential and cannot be disabled.
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Performance / Analytical Cookies – help us understand how visitors use our website, which pages are most popular, and how users navigate the site. We use tools such as Google Analytics to collect anonymised visitor data to improve site performance.
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Functionality Cookies – enable the website to remember your preferences, such as language, region, or login details, to provide a more personalised experience.
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Targeting and Advertising Cookies – used to deliver content or adverts relevant to your interests and to measure the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns. These cookies may be shared with trusted third-party advertising networks.
- Social Media Cookies – used when you interact with social media features on our site, such as “like” or “share” buttons from Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or Pinterest. These platforms may set their own cookies, which are governed by their respective privacy and cookie policies.
Types of Cookies We Use
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Session Cookies – temporary cookies that are deleted when you close your browser.
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Persistent Cookies – remain on your device until they expire or are deleted.
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First-Party Cookies – placed by our website.
- Third-Party Cookies – placed by third-party services such as analytics providers, advertising partners, or social media platforms.
List of Cookies We Collect
The following cookies may be collected and stored when you interact with our site:
- FORM_KEY – Stores a randomly generated key to prevent forged requests.
- PHPSESSID – Your session ID on the server.
- GUEST-VIEW – Allows guests to view and edit their orders.
- PERSISTENT_SHOPPING_CART – Links to your basket and viewing history.
- STF – Information about products you have emailed to friends.
- STORE – The store view or language you have selected.
- USER_ALLOWED_SAVE_COOKIE – Indicates whether a customer has consented to cookies.
- SECTION-DATA-IDS – Facilitates caching of content for faster page loading.
- PRIVATE_CONTENT_VERSION – Facilitates caching of content for faster page loading.
Shopify Cookies
As our store is hosted on Shopify, additional cookies are placed by Shopify to ensure secure checkout and site performance. These may include:
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_session_id – Unique token, sessional; allows Shopify to store session information
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_shopify_visit – Persistent for 30 minutes from last visit; used for analytics.
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_shopify_uniq – Counts the number of visits by a single customer; expires at midnight the next day.
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cart – Stores the contents of your basket; persistent for 2 weeks.
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_secure_session_id – Unique token, sessional
- storefront_digest – Used to determine access when the store is password-protected.
For full details, please refer to Shopify’s Cookie Policy.
Cookies in Relation to Competitions, Promotions and Prize Draws
From time to time, we may run competitions, prize draws, or promotional campaigns through our website, email marketing, or social media channels. Cookies may be used to: track entries submitted via our website; ensure fair usage and compliance with entry limits; prevent fraud or automated entries; tailor promotional content to participants; and verify eligibility or determine winners. Non-essential cookies used in connection with promotions will only be set with your consent. Any personal data collected will be processed strictly in accordance with our Privacy Policy and competition-specific terms and conditions.
Legal Basis for Processing Cookies
Under the UK Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) and UK GDPR, non-essential cookies require your prior consent. You will see a cookie banner when you first visit our website, giving you the choice to accept or reject non-essential cookies. Your consent can be withdrawn at any time through our cookie management tool or your browser settings. Strictly necessary cookies do not require consent.
Managing Cookies
You can manage or delete cookies at any time by adjusting your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to block certain cookies, delete existing ones, or receive an alert when a cookie is set. However, blocking essential cookies may affect your ability to use certain site features. For detailed guidance, visit www.aboutcookies.org or www.allaboutcookies.org.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy periodically to reflect changes in technology, legal requirements, or our business practices. The latest version will always be available on this page, and the date of the last revision will be updated accordingly.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about our use of cookies or this Cookie Policy, please contact us at hello@downtonhome.com or write to us at Downton Home Furnishings Ltd, (trading as Downton Home Furnishings / Downton Home) 124 City Road, London, EC1V 2NX.
