Cookies

1. WHAT ARE COOKIES?

Cookies are small text files users receive from the websites they visit, stored on their computer, tablet, smartphone etc., allowing websites to recognize their IP address. A cookie is a passive file and cannot collect information from the user’s computer or spread computer virus or other harmful programs.

A cookie allows a web server to place a text file (e.g., a clear ID) on your computer or smartphone/tablet. Cookies are used, for example, to automatically recognize you the next time you visit our websites or use our applications.

Cookies may, for instance, be used to optimize website content based on statistics of the visitors’ use of the website.

The cookie is sent either by the web server to your browser or is generated by client-side scripting (e.g., JavaScript). Cookie data will be stored locally on your terminal device and in most cases will be effective only for a limited time period.

Some cookies are placed by websites (third parties) other than the one stated in the browser’s address line (the URL). The content of such cookies may be of a general nature, but they may also be, for example, analytical tools or embedded comment fields. This means that cookies are stored from parties other than the one owning the website.

Some cookies are created temporarily and expire at the end of the user session when the browser is closed (session cookies). Other cookies are stored on the user’s IT equipment for a longer period of time (persistent cookie). When the user revisits a website, new session cookies will be placed in the temporary memory, whereas a persistent cookie will be renewed.

Websites that include flash media write user-specific data to your computer and later read such data. Such files are called flash cookies or local shared objects (LSO). Such files are not managed by your browser, but rather by the flash player plug-in. Flash cookies are subject to the same rules as conventional cookies. Flash cookies, too, can only be read by the website that caused those flash cookies to be placed. However, flash cookies can store a substantially greater volume of data.

Tracking pixels are small graphics in HTML e-mails or on websites. When you access such a website, your access to the tracking pixel will be recorded in a log file. This allows statistical analysis, which, in turn, can be used to improve our Services.

2. WHY DO WE USE COOKIES?

We use cookies and tracking pixels (a.k.a. web beacons) to optimize your visit with customized content, to execute orders, to follow up on marketing campaigns, and to analyze the overall traffic to our website.

The information we use in our statistics is anonymous and cannot be used to identify named users. The information we get from cookies will not be sold or used for any purpose other than to make sure you get the best possible service during your visit on our website.

We use session cookies to register information necessary for our website to be as user-friendly as possible, for instance, to register the items you placed in your cart at check-out and to remember your information, so you don’t have to submit it multiple times. These cookies are automatically deleted when you shut down your browser.

To optimize our website, we collect statistics through persistent cookies collected by Google Analytics and Facebook. Among other things, these cookies allow us to see where the traffic to our website comes from, which we use to better understand our customers as a collective group and thereby learn how to improve our website.

3. WHY DO WE PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT COOKIES?

All German websites are obliged to inform users about the cookies placed on their devices so that they can decide whether to allow or delete these cookies.

5. THE PROCESSING OF PERSONAL DATA

For further information about how we process your personal data, please see our Data Protection Policy.