Cookies declaration

What are cookies and how do we use them?

“Cookies” are data files that a website sends to your computer while you are viewing the site. These data files include information that allows our site to remember important information that will make your use of the site more efficient and useful to you. Our sites use cookies for a variety of purposes. We use cookie technology and IP addresses to obtain information from online visitors, and also to provide registered visitors with the best possible personalized online experience.

Visitors to our sites use different web browsers and different computers. To make your visits as easy as possible with the technology you use, we automatically keep track of the type of browser (e.g., Internet Explorer) and operating system (e.g., Windows, Mac) used by a visitor, and the domain name of the visitor's Internet service provider. We also track the total number of visitors to our site in an aggregate form to allow us to update and improve our sites . This data tells us if more visitors prefer certain features or areas to others, which helps us keep our site fresh and interesting to the majority of our visitors. We also use cookies to help prevent children from entering certain areas or features intended only for adults or teens.

 

How do we use cookies to personalize your experience at our sites?

Cookie technology helps us deliver content tailored to a visitor’s interests, and allows us to make ordering products, entering and participating in sweepstakes and contests, and offering other functions at our sites easier for our visitors. Sites that offer online shopping use cookies to remember and process the items in your shopping cart. Where appropriate under our disclosed practices and policies, we may associate personal information with a cookie file in such instances.

 

Do third parties use cookies on our site?

We may allow third parties to use cookies and to advertise on our websites. We do not control the cookies of third parties. There are free programs you can download which would allow you to set your preferences and block the vast majority of third-party cookies across the Internet.

 

Different types of cookies used by us

The cookies used by us are based on the International Chamber of Commerce guide for cookie categories: Strictly Necessary, Performance, Functionality, and Targeting.

'Strictly Necessary' cookies let you move around the website and use essential features like secure areas, shopping baskets and online billing. These cookies don't gather any information about you that could be used for marketing or remembering where you've been on the internet. We use these Strictly Necessary cookies to

  • Remember things like information you've entered on order forms when you navigate to different pages in a single web browser session
  • Remember the goods and services you ordered when you get to the checkout page
  • Identify you as being logged in to a Mars website
  • Make sure you connect to the right service on our website when we make any changes to the way the website works

 

    Cookies we have defined as 'Strictly Necessary' cookies will NOT be used to

    • Gather information that could be used to advertise products or services to you
    • Remember your preferences or username beyond your current visit

     

      'Performance' cookies collect information about how you use our website e.g. which pages you visit, and if you experience any errors. These cookies don't collect any information that could identify you – all the information collected is anonymous and is only used to help us improve how our website works, understand what interests our users, and measure how effective our advertising is. We use performance cookies to

      • Provide statistics on how our website is used
      • See how effective our adverts are (we don't use this information to target adverts to you when you visit other websites)
      • Help us improve the website by measuring any errors that occur
      • Test different designs of our website

       

        Cookies we have defined as 'Performance' cookies will NOT be used to

        • Gather information that could be used to advertise products or services to you on other websites
        • Remember your preferences or username beyond your current visit
        • Target adverts to you on any other website

         

          'Functionality' cookies are used to provide services or to remember settings to improve your visit. We use 'Functionality' cookies to

          • Remember settings you've applied such as layout, text size, preferences and colours
          • Remember if we've already asked you if you want to fill out a survey
          • Show you when you're logged in to our site
          • Share information with partners to provide a service on our site. The information shared is only to be used to provide the service, product or function and not for any other purpose

           

            Cookies defined as 'Functionality' will NOT be used to

            • Target you with adverts on other websites

             

              'Targeting' cookies are linked to services provided by third parties, such as 'Like' buttons and 'Share' buttons. The third party provides these services in return for recognising that you have visited our website. We use 'Targeting' cookies to

              • Link to social networks like Facebook, who may subsequently use information about your visit to target advertising to you on other websites
              • Provide advertising agencies with information on your visit so that they can present you with adverts that you may be interested in

               

                What are web beacons and how do we use them?

                Some of our Web pages and e-mail updates may contain electronic images called Web beacons, sometimes known as one pixel GIFs, clear GIFs or pixel tags. On sites, these allow us to count visitors who have viewed our pages. In promotional e-mail messages/newsletters, they allow us to count how many subscribers have read them. Web beacons allow us to develop statistical information about the activities and features that most interest our consumers for the purpose of providing more personalized content. They are not used to access your personal information without your consent.

                 

                How can you opt-out of cookies?

                Setting your browser to reject cookies

                If you don't want cookies, you can set your computer to warn you each time a cookie is being sent or turn off all cookies through your browser (e.g., Internet Explorer or Firefox). Check your browser HELP menu to learn the correct way to change or update your cookies.

                Alternatively, you may wish to visit which contains comprehensive information on how to do this on a wide variety of browsers. You will also find details on how to delete cookies from your computer as well as more general information about cookies. For information on how to do this on the browser of your mobile phone you will need to refer to your handset manual.

                Please be aware that restricting cookies may impact on the functionality of Mars websites.