Cookie Policy

Last updated: June 2026

1. What This Policy Covers

When you visit www.sterlinghome.co.uk, we and our third-party partners use cookies and similar tracking technologies to make the site work, understand how it is used, and deliver relevant advertising.

This Cookie Policy explains what cookies are, which ones we use, who sets them, how long they last, and how you can control them. It sits alongside our Privacy Policy, which covers all personal data we process.

By continuing to use our site after the cookie banner appears, you consent to the use of non-essential cookies as described below. You can withdraw or update your consent at any time.

2. What Are Cookies?

A cookie is a small text file placed on your device when you visit a website. Cookies let the site remember information about your visit — such as your login status or items in your basket — so you do not have to re-enter it every time.

We use two types by origin:

  • First-party cookies — set directly by sterlinghome.co.uk
  • Third-party cookies — set by external platforms such as Google or Meta when their code runs on our pages

3. Cookie Categories

Essential

Strictly necessary for the site to function. These enable core features like adding items to your basket, completing checkout, and keeping you logged in. They cannot be switched off and no consent is required.

Analytics

Help us understand how visitors use the site — which pages are most popular, how long people stay, and where they came from. Data is used to improve the site only and is not used to target advertising. Consent required.

Marketing

Used to track visits and build a profile of your interests so we can show you relevant ads on other platforms such as Google and Facebook/Instagram. Also used to measure whether our advertising is working. Consent required.

Functional

Remember preferences you have set — such as your currency or region — to give you a more personalised experience on return visits. Consent required.

4. Cookies We Use

Essential cookies

  • cart (Shopify) — stores the contents of your shopping basket between pages. Duration: 2 weeks.
  • secure_customer_sig (Shopify) — keeps you securely logged in to your customer account. Duration: 1 year.
  • Cookie consent preferences (Sterling Home / Shopify) — remembers your cookie consent choices so we do not ask again on every visit. Duration: 1 year.

Analytics cookies

  • _ga (Google Analytics / GA4) — assigns a unique ID to your browser to distinguish you from other visitors and measure site usage. Duration: 2 years (typically around 13 months in most browsers).
  • _ga_<container-id> (Google Analytics / GA4) — tracks your current session, pages visited, duration, and engagement. Duration: 2 years.
  • _shopify_sa_p (Shopify) — tracks the marketing channel that brought you to the site (e.g. search, email). Duration: 30 minutes.
  • _shopify_sa_t (Shopify) — records the time of your first visit for marketing attribution. Duration: 30 minutes.
  • _shopify_fs (Shopify) — records the source and time of your first-ever visit to the store. Duration: 2 years.

Marketing cookies

  • _fbp (Meta — Facebook/Instagram) — assigns a unique ID to identify your browser and link your site activity to your Facebook or Instagram profile for ad targeting and measurement. Duration: 90 days.
  • _fbc (Meta — Facebook/Instagram) — stores the click ID from a Meta ad you clicked before arriving on our site, used to attribute your visit to that ad. Only set if you arrive via a Meta advertisement. Duration: 90 days.
  • __kla_id (Klaviyo) — identifies you as a known Klaviyo subscriber and tracks your on-site behaviour to personalise email marketing. Only set after you click a Sterling Home email link or submit a sign-up form — not on anonymous visits. Duration: up to 2 years.
  • aw.def / AWIN click reference (AWIN) — set only if you arrive via an affiliate partner link. Records the click to credit the affiliate with any resulting sale. Duration: 30 days.

5. Other Tracking and Data Processing Tools

The following platforms process data about activity on our site but do not set cookies in your browser. Full details are in our Privacy Policy.

  • Google Ads Enhanced Conversions (Google LLC, USA) — server-side conversion measurement; hashed email matched to Google accounts to attribute ad-driven purchases.
  • Adalyser (Adalyser Ltd, UK) — TV and broadcast advertising attribution via a GTM tag; no independent browser cookie.
  • LittleData (LittleData Ltd, UK) — server-side tracking layer connecting Shopify purchase data to Google Analytics and Klaviyo; no independent browser cookie.
  • Yotpo (Yotpo Ltd, UK) — customer reviews and loyalty platform.
  • AWIN (AWIN Ltd, UK) — affiliate programme management (also sets a marketing cookie on click-through — see above).
  • Spotify (Spotify AB, Sweden/USA) — audio advertising platform; campaign data exchanged server-side for audience targeting and reach measurement.
  • Anthropic (Anthropic PBC, USA) — back-end AI tool by Sterling Home for business operations; no on-site presence.

6. How to Manage Your Cookie Preferences

Cookie banner

When you first visit our site, a cookie banner allows you to accept all cookies, reject non-essential cookies, or manage your preferences by category. You can revisit and update your choices at any time using the cookie settings link in the footer of our site.

Browser settings

Most browsers allow you to block or delete cookies through their settings:

Please note: blocking essential cookies will prevent parts of our site from working, including the basket and checkout.

Platform opt-outs

7. Changes to This Policy

We review this Cookie Policy regularly and update it whenever we add or remove tracking technologies. The date at the top of this page shows when it was last updated.

8. Contact Us

If you have any questions about how we use cookies, please get in touch:

  • Online: Contact Us form
  • Phone: 01259 750655
  • Post: Sterling Furniture Group Limited, Moss Road, Tillicoultry, Clackmannanshire, FK13 6NS

For general information about cookies, visit allaboutcookies.org or the ICO's guidance on cookies.

Sterling Furniture Group Limited T/A Sterling Home. Registered in Scotland. ICO registration number Z747526X.