Cookie Policy

Last updated: September 2026

This Cookie Policy explains how SIGTEA uses cookies and similar technologies when you visit or use our website.

Cookies help us provide a functional, secure and user-friendly shopping experience. Depending on the type of cookie or similar technology used, they may also help us understand how visitors use our website and, where permitted, support marketing and advertising activities.

This Cookie Policy should be read together with our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.

1. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are stored on your computer, smartphone, tablet or other device when you visit a website.

They allow a website to recognise your device and remember certain information about your visit, preferences or actions.

Some technologies work in a similar way to cookies, including pixels, tags, scripts, local storage and other tracking or storage technologies. For simplicity, this policy refers to all of these technologies collectively as “cookies” unless otherwise stated.

2. Why We Use Cookies

SIGTEA may use cookies and similar technologies for several purposes, including:

  • operating and securing our website;

  • remembering items in your shopping basket;

  • enabling checkout and other essential website functions;

  • remembering preferences;

  • understanding how visitors interact with our website;

  • improving website performance and functionality;

  • measuring the effectiveness of our marketing;

  • delivering or measuring relevant advertising; and

  • detecting fraud, abuse or suspicious activity.

The specific cookies and technologies used on the website may change over time as we update our website, services and technology providers.

3. Categories of Cookies We May Use

Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are essential for the website to function properly and provide services that you have requested.

They may be used to support functions such as:

  • shopping basket functionality;

  • checkout;

  • payment processing;

  • account or session management;

  • website security;

  • fraud prevention;

  • load balancing; and

  • remembering essential privacy preferences.

Because these cookies are necessary to provide the online service you have requested, they may not require consent under applicable law.

The ICO recognises a limited exemption for technologies that are strictly necessary to provide an online service requested by the user, such as maintaining an online shopping basket or providing essential security.

Preference Cookies

Preference cookies allow the website to remember choices you make so that we can provide a more convenient experience.

For example, they may remember certain settings or preferences selected during your visit.

Where these cookies are not strictly necessary, they will only be used where the applicable consent requirements have been satisfied.

Analytics and Performance Cookies

Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors use the SIGTEA website.

They may collect information such as:

  • pages visited;

  • time spent on pages;

  • interactions with website features;

  • general traffic patterns;

  • browser and device information; and

  • information about how visitors arrive at our website.

We use this information to understand website performance, identify problems and improve the customer experience.

Where required by applicable law, analytics cookies will only be placed after you have provided consent.

Advertising and Marketing Cookies

Advertising and marketing cookies may be used to understand how visitors interact with our website and to measure or support advertising campaigns.

These technologies may help us:

  • measure advertising performance;

  • understand which marketing channels generate visits or purchases;

  • show more relevant advertising;

  • limit how frequently an advertisement is shown; and

  • understand conversions and customer journeys.

Advertising and tracking technologies that are not strictly necessary require appropriate consent under applicable UK rules. The ICO specifically notes that online advertising, tracking technologies and social media plugins generally do not fall within the strictly necessary exemption.

Security and Fraud Prevention Technologies

Certain technologies may be used to protect SIGTEA, our customers and our website from fraud, abuse, automated attacks and other security threats.

These technologies may help us:

  • identify suspicious behaviour;

  • protect checkout and payment processes;

  • detect fraudulent transactions;

  • prevent abuse of the website; and

  • maintain the security and reliability of our services.

Where a technology is genuinely necessary to provide the service or comply with applicable security requirements, it may fall within the relevant legal exemption. Otherwise, appropriate consent will be obtained where required.

4. First-Party and Third-Party Cookies

Some cookies are set directly by SIGTEA or on our behalf. These are commonly referred to as first-party cookies.

Other cookies may be set by third-party service providers that support our website, analytics, payment processing, advertising, security or other services. These are commonly referred to as third-party cookies.

Third-party providers may process information collected through their technologies in accordance with their own privacy policies.

We take reasonable steps to ensure that third-party services used on our website are subject to appropriate contractual and privacy safeguards where required.

5. Cookie Duration

Cookies may be either:

Session cookies
These are temporary cookies that remain on your device while you use the website and are normally deleted when your browsing session ends.

Persistent cookies
These remain on your device for a defined period or until they are deleted manually.

The retention period for a particular cookie depends on its purpose and configuration.

Because the specific technologies used by the website may change, the exact list and duration of individual cookies may vary from time to time.

6. Managing Your Cookie Preferences

When you first visit our website, you may be presented with a cookie consent mechanism allowing you to accept or reject non-essential cookies.

Where applicable, you can choose which categories of non-essential cookies you wish to allow.

You can also manage or delete cookies through your browser settings.

Most modern browsers allow you to:

  • block cookies;

  • delete existing cookies;

  • block third-party cookies;

  • allow selected cookies; or

  • delete cookies automatically when you close your browser.

Please note that blocking or deleting certain cookies may affect the functionality of the website. For example, some shopping basket, checkout or preference functionality may not work correctly if strictly necessary cookies are disabled.

The ICO notes that users can manage cookies through browser controls, including deleting, blocking or allowing cookies.

7. Consent

Where applicable, SIGTEA will obtain consent before placing or accessing non-essential cookies or similar technologies on your device.

Consent must involve a clear affirmative action and should be freely given, specific and informed.

Simply continuing to browse or use the website does not, by itself, constitute valid consent for non-essential cookies where consent is required.

You may withdraw or change your cookie preferences at any time where the website provides the relevant controls.

The ICO states that consent for non-essential cookies must involve a clear positive action and that organisations should not set such cookies before the user has consented.

8. Cookies and Personal Information

Some cookies may collect information that, alone or when combined with other information, can be associated with an identifiable individual.

Where cookie-related information constitutes personal data, we will handle it in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable data protection legislation.

Depending on the circumstances, we may process personal information collected through cookies on the basis of consent, legitimate interests, contract, legal obligation or another lawful basis permitted by applicable law.

The lawful basis will depend on the purpose and nature of the processing.

9. Third-Party Services

SIGTEA may use third-party services that place or access cookies or similar technologies on your device.

These services may include providers supporting functions such as:

  • website analytics;

  • advertising and campaign measurement;

  • payment and checkout;

  • website security;

  • customer support;

  • marketing communications; and

  • website performance.

The specific third-party services used by SIGTEA may change over time.

Where third-party technologies are used for purposes that require consent, they will be subject to our applicable cookie consent mechanism.

Third-party providers may process information in accordance with their own privacy policies and may process information outside the United Kingdom. Further details about international processing are available in our Privacy Policy.

10. Changes to Our Use of Cookies

Our use of cookies may change as our website, technology, services and business develop.

We may introduce new cookies, remove existing cookies or change the purposes for which certain technologies are used.

Where a material change affects the way we use non-essential cookies, we may request fresh consent where required.

You should review this Cookie Policy periodically to stay informed about how cookies are used.

11. Cookies on Mobile Devices

Cookies and similar technologies may also be used when you access our website through a smartphone or tablet.

The same general principles described in this Cookie Policy apply regardless of the device you use to access SIGTEA.

Your device or browser settings may provide additional controls for managing cookies and similar technologies.

12. Your Privacy Rights

Where cookie-related information constitutes personal data, you may have rights under applicable UK data protection legislation.

These may include rights relating to:

  • access;

  • correction;

  • erasure;

  • restriction;

  • objection;

  • data portability; and

  • withdrawal of consent where consent is the legal basis for processing.

More information about these rights is available in our Privacy Policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Cookie Policy or how SIGTEA uses cookies and similar technologies, please contact us:

SIGTEA
Email: contact@sigtea.com

We will aim to respond to privacy and cookie-related enquiries within a reasonable timeframe.

14. Updates to This Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes to:

  • the cookies and technologies we use;

  • our website;

  • our services;

  • our business practices; or

  • applicable legal or regulatory requirements.

When changes are made, the “Last updated” date at the top of this page will be updated.