Legal

Cookie Policy

This Cookie Policy explains how AL WASAT uses cookies and similar browser storage technologies on al-wasat.co.uk. We have kept our use of tracking technologies to the absolute minimum necessary to operate the site and understand how it is being used.

We do not use advertising cookies, retargeting pixels, social media tracking scripts, or any third-party cookie that tracks you across other websites.

1. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files placed on your device by a website. They allow a site to remember information about your visit — for example whether you have accepted a cookie notice. Cookies are distinct from localStorage (see section 3), though both serve similar purposes of storing data in your browser.

2. Essential Cookies

Essential cookies are strictly necessary for the website to function and cannot be disabled. Without them, certain features of the site will not work correctly.

  • cookieConsent
    Purpose: Stores your cookie preference (accepted or declined) so we do not show you the cookie banner on every page visit.
    Type: localStorage entry (functionally equivalent to an essential cookie)
    Duration: Persists until you clear your browser storage or change your preference
    Can be disabled: No — this is required to remember your own consent decision.

Beyond your consent preference, we do not set any first-party session or persistent cookies of our own.

3. localStorage (Functional Browser Storage)

We use your browser's localStorage API — not cookies — to store several pieces of functional data. LocalStorage entries are not transmitted to servers on every request the way cookies are; they remain on your device and are accessed only by JavaScript on al-wasat.co.uk.

Key Purpose Duration
alwasat_cart Stores the contents of your shopping cart so it persists between page loads and sessions Until you complete a purchase or clear your storage
alwasat_lang Remembers your chosen display language (English, French, or Arabic) Until you change your language preference or clear your storage
alwasat_sub Stores whether you have selected the Subscribe & Save option for your current order Cleared automatically after a successful order is placed
alwasat_promo Stores an applied promotional code and its associated discount percentage Cleared after a successful order or when the code is removed

None of these localStorage entries contain personally identifiable information. Cart contents are transmitted to our payment function only at the moment you initiate checkout.

4. Analytics Cookies — Google Analytics 4

We use Google Analytics 4 (property ID: G-TFTLQ2TYJV) to understand how visitors use our website. GA4 may set the following cookies:

  • _ga — Distinguishes unique users. Duration: 2 years.
  • _ga_TFTLQ2TYJV — Maintains session state for the G-TFTLQ2TYJV property. Duration: 2 years.

The data collected includes: page URLs visited, referral source, approximate geographic region (country/city level), browser type, device category (desktop/mobile/tablet), and session duration. IP addresses are anonymised before being stored by Google. No personally identifiable information is sent to Google Analytics.

These analytics cookies are only set if you accept cookies via our banner. If you decline, GA4 is not initialised and no analytics cookies are placed.

5. What We Do Not Use

We want to be explicit about what is absent from this site:

  • No advertising or retargeting cookies (Meta Pixel, Google Ads, etc.)
  • No social media tracking scripts (Facebook, Twitter/X, TikTok, etc.)
  • No cross-site tracking or third-party audience profiling
  • No personalisation or recommendation engine cookies
  • No A/B testing tools that set cookies
  • No heatmap or session-recording tools (Hotjar, FullStory, etc.)

6. How to Opt Out of Google Analytics

You have several options to prevent Google Analytics from collecting data about your visit:

  • Cookie banner — click "Decline" on our cookie banner. GA4 will not be initialised and no analytics cookies will be set.
  • Google Analytics Opt-out Add-on — install the official browser extension from tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout. This prevents the GA4 JavaScript from sharing data with Google Analytics on all websites you visit.
  • Browser Do Not Track — enabling your browser's "Do Not Track" setting signals your preference to websites, though its effect depends on each site's implementation.
  • Delete existing GA cookies — in your browser's settings, navigate to Cookies and Site Data, find al-wasat.co.uk, and delete the _ga and _ga_TFTLQ2TYJV cookies.

7. How to Clear localStorage

To remove AL WASAT localStorage data from your browser:

  • Open your browser's Developer Tools (usually F12 or right-click → Inspect).
  • Navigate to the Application (Chrome/Edge) or Storage (Firefox) tab.
  • Expand Local Storage in the left panel and select https://al-wasat.co.uk.
  • You will see the keys listed above. Select any entry and press Delete, or click "Clear All" to remove everything.

Alternatively, clearing all site data for al-wasat.co.uk via your browser's privacy or history settings will remove both cookies and localStorage in one step.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy if we introduce new technologies or change our approach to data collection. Any changes will be reflected on this page. Continued use of the site after a policy change constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.

9. Contact

If you have any questions about how we use cookies or browser storage, please contact us at jamel.derbali@gmail.com.

For broader privacy matters, please review our Privacy Policy.