We'd like to let you know that this site uses cookies. Without them you may find this site does not work properly and many features may be unavailable.
What are cookies? Cookies are very small text files that websites install on visitors’ devices for a number of reasons, such as to enable shopping baskets to work correctly and, at the other end of the spectrum, to allow advertising to become more targeted and personalised.
Cookies cannot harm your device at all, and they can make the internet incredibly easy to use, but obviously it’s only fair that it should be up to the visitor whether they accept these cookies or not. All Internet browsers, such as Google Chrome and Internet Explorer, have an optional setting to disallow these cookies, but it’s felt by legislators that greater education of web users about cookies and what they do is required, especially in an age in which online privacy is becoming more and more significant. This is why the EU Cookies Law has come into place.
The four categories of cookie
1. ‘Strictly necessary’ cookies These are cookies that are necessary to place on the visitor’s device in order for the site to fulfil its primary function, such as cookies that enable the visitor to log in to an account or add things to their shopping basket.
This website sets strictly necessary cookies. These cookies are essential in order to enable you to move around the website and use its features, such as accessing secure areas of the website. Without these cookies services you have asked for, like shopping baskets or e-billing, cannot be provided.
2. Performance cookies These cookies collect statistics about how visitors use a website, for instance where the visitor arrived to the site from, how long they spend there and which pages get visited most often.
This website sets performance cookies. These cookies collect information about how visitors use a website, for instance which pages visitors go to most often, and if they get error messages from web pages. These cookies don’t collect information that identifies a visitor. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. It is only used to improve how a website works.
3. Functionality cookies These cookies allow the website to remember choices a visitor makes (such as the visitor’s name, language or region) and provide enhanced, more personal features. For instance, a website may be able to provide local weather reports or traffic news by storing in a cookie the region in which the visitor is currently located.
This website sets functionality cookies. These cookies allow the website to remember choices you make (such as your user name, language or the region you are in) and provide enhanced, more personal features. For instance, a website may be able to provide you with local weather reports or traffic news by storing in a cookie the region in which you are currently located. 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 such as watching a video or commenting on a blog. The information these cookies collect may be anonymised and they cannot track your browsing activity on other websites.
4. Targeting cookies (or 'Advertising cookies') These are cookies that sit on the visitor’s device and record their browsing habits and preferences. This information is then used to define visitor interests and therefore tailor marketing and online advertising to them.
This website sets targeting 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 operator’s 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.
We hope that this article has helped you to understand cookies and assisted you in your compliance with the new EU Cookies Law. If you would like more information on cookies and the law, here is some official further reading:
