Cookie Policy
Last Updated: October 2025
At Socks Zoo, we use cookies to make your shopping experience smoother and more personalized. This Cookie Policy explains what cookies are, how we use them, and how you can control them.
1. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that websites store on your device (computer, phone, tablet) when you visit them. They help websites remember your preferences and understand how you interact with the site.
Think of cookies as friendly little helpers that remember things like: 🛒 Items in your shopping cart 🌍 Your language preference 📍 Your location (to show relevant shipping options)
2. Why We Use Cookies
We use cookies to:
✅ Make your experience better: Remember your cart, preferences, and login details ✅ Keep our site secure: Prevent fraud and protect your data ✅ Understand our visitors: See which pages are popular and how to improve ✅ Show you relevant ads: Display products you might love on Instagram and Facebook ✅ Provide customer support: Help us assist you better if you contact us
3. Types of Cookies We Use
Essential Cookies (Strictly Necessary)
These cookies are required for our website to function properly. Without them, you wouldn't be able to shop or checkout.
Purpose:
- Keep items in your shopping cart
- Remember your shipping information during checkout
- Ensure secure payment processing
- Maintain your session while browsing
Examples:
- Session ID cookies
- Security cookies (CSRF protection)
- Load balancing cookies
Can you disable them? No. These cookies are essential for the website to work. Disabling them would break core functionality.
Functionality Cookies
These cookies remember your choices and preferences to give you a more personalized experience.
Purpose:
- Remember your language preference (English, French, German, etc.)
- Remember your currency preference (EUR, GBP, USD)
- Store your cookie consent choices
- Remember if you've subscribed to our newsletter
Examples:
- Language selector cookies
- Currency preference cookies
- Shopify customization cookies
Can you disable them? Yes, but your experience may be less convenient (you'll need to set preferences each visit).
Analytics & Performance Cookies
These cookies help us understand how visitors use our website so we can improve it.
Purpose:
- Count visitor numbers and traffic sources
- See which pages are most popular
- Understand how people navigate through our site
- Identify technical issues or slow-loading pages
- Measure the effectiveness of our campaigns
Tools we use:
- Google Analytics: Tracks page views, bounce rates, session duration
- Shopify Analytics: Monitors store performance and sales data
- Hotjar: Records heatmaps and user behavior (anonymized)
Information collected:
- Pages visited and time spent
- Device type (mobile, desktop, tablet)
- Browser type and operating system
- Approximate location (country/city level, not exact address)
- Referral source (how you found us)
Can you disable them? Yes. These cookies don't identify you personally and are purely for improving our service.
Marketing & Advertising Cookies
These cookies track your browsing to show you relevant ads on other websites and social media.
Purpose:
- Show you Socks Zoo ads on Facebook, Instagram, and Google
- Display products you viewed but didn't purchase (retargeting)
- Measure ad campaign performance
- Prevent you from seeing the same ad too many times
- Create lookalike audiences of potential customers
Tools we use:
- Facebook Pixel: Tracks conversions and enables retargeting on Facebook/Instagram
- Google Ads: Shows relevant ads on Google search and partner sites
- TikTok Pixel: Tracks performance of TikTok ads (if applicable)
Information collected:
- Products you viewed
- Items you added to cart but didn't buy
- Whether you clicked on our ads
- Your interests and shopping behavior
Can you disable them? Yes. You can opt out of personalized ads (see section 6 below).
4. Third-Party Cookies
Some cookies are set by third-party services we use to run our store:
Shopify (E-commerce Platform) Manages your cart, checkout, and order processing. Essential for our store to function.
Stripe/PayPal (Payment Processors) Secure payment processing. These cookies detect and prevent fraud.
Social Media Platforms If you interact with our Instagram feed or Facebook share buttons, those platforms may set their own cookies.
Email Marketing (Klaviyo/Mailchimp) If you subscribe to our newsletter, these services track email opens and clicks to improve content.
Note: Third-party cookies are governed by the respective company's privacy policy. We don't control them.
5. How Long Do Cookies Last?
Session Cookies: Temporary. Deleted when you close your browser.
- Used for: Shopping cart, checkout process
Persistent Cookies: Remain on your device for a set period (from days to years).
- Used for: Remembering preferences, analytics, advertising
| Cookie Type | Duration | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | Session to 1 year | Cart, security |
| Functionality | 30 days to 1 year | Preferences |
| Analytics | 1 month to 2 years | Performance tracking |
| Marketing | 30 days to 1 year | Ad targeting |
6. How to Control Cookies
You have full control over cookies. Here's how to manage them:
Option 1: Cookie Consent Banner
When you first visit our site, you'll see a cookie banner. You can: ✅ Accept all cookies ❌ Reject non-essential cookies ⚙️ Customize your preferences
Your choice is saved for 12 months. You can change it anytime by clicking the Cookie Settings link in our website footer.
Option 2: Browser Settings
You can block or delete cookies through your browser:
Google Chrome: Settings > Privacy and Security > Cookies and other site data > See all cookies and site data
Safari: Preferences > Privacy > Manage Website Data
Firefox: Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data
Microsoft Edge: Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Cookies and site data
Option 3: Opt Out of Advertising Cookies
Google Ads: Visit Google Ad Settings to opt out of personalized ads
Facebook/Instagram: Go to Settings > Ads > Ad Preferences > Manage data about your activity from partners
European Digital Advertising Alliance: Visit Your Online Choices to opt out of behavioral advertising
Mobile Devices:
- iOS: Settings > Privacy > Tracking > Turn off "Allow Apps to Request to Track"
- Android: Settings > Google > Ads > Opt out of Ads Personalization
Note: Blocking cookies may affect website functionality. You won't be able to checkout or use certain features without essential cookies.
7. Do Not Track Signals
Some browsers have a "Do Not Track" (DNT) feature. Currently, there's no industry standard for responding to DNT signals, so our site doesn't alter behavior based on DNT settings. However, you can still control cookies using the methods above.
8. Cookies and Your Privacy
We respect your privacy: 🔒 Cookies don't contain personal information like your name or credit card details 🔒 We never sell cookie data to third parties 🔒 Analytics cookies are anonymized (we can't identify individual users) 🔒 We comply with GDPR and EU cookie laws
Read more: Privacy Policy
9. Updates to This Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy to reflect changes in technology, legal requirements, or our business practices.
Changes will be posted on this page with a new "Last Updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.
10. Questions About Cookies?
We're here to help! If you have questions about our use of cookies:
📧 Email: privacy@sockszoo.com 🕒 Response time: Within 24-48 hours
For GDPR-related cookie inquiries, include "Cookie Inquiry" in your subject line.
Thank you for trusting Socks Zoo! 🐾
By continuing to use our website, you agree to our use of cookies as described in this policy. Now go ahead and find your perfect pair of animal socks (we promise our cookies won't bite)! 🍪🦁