Cookie Policy

Last Updated: October 26, 2020

This Cookie Policy explains how Central Garden & Pet and our affiliates use cookies and similar technologies to recognize you when you visit our Website(s) owned and controlled by Central Garden & Pet. It explains what these technologies are and why we use them, as well as your rights to control our use of them.

What are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer by websites that you visit. They are widely used to make websites work, or work more efficiently, as well as to provide information to the owners of the site. Cookies may store user preferences and other information.

Cookies provide a convenient feature to save you time or tell the web server you returned to a specific page. For example, if you personalize pages on our Websites, a cookie helps us recall your specific information on subsequent visits. When you return to the same Website, we can easily retrieve the information you previously entered or settings you modified, allowing you to easily use those customized features each time you return.

Cookies that the website owner (in this case, Central Garden & Pet) sets are called “first party cookies.” Cookies that parties other than the website owner set are called “third party cookies.” Third party cookies enable us to provide third party features or functionality on or through the website (e.g. advertising, interactive content, and analytics). The parties setting these third-party cookies can recognize your computer when it visits our Websites, and certain other websites.

Why do we use Cookies?

We use first party and third-party cookies for several reasons. Our website needs some cookies to operate. We refer to these as “essential” or “strictly necessary” cookies. Other cookies enable us to track and target your interests, which enhances your experience on our Websites.

For example, Central Garden & Pet tracks the Websites, and pages you visit within those Websites, to determine its most popular and widely used portions. We then use this data to deliver customized content and promotions within the Central Garden & Pet Website to customers whose behavior indicates an interest in a subject area. Third parties serve cookies through our Websites for advertising, analytics, and other purposes. This is described in more detail below.What types of Cookies do we use and how do we use them?

The types of first and third-party cookies we serve through our Websites include, without limitation:

Essential website cookies: Cookies that are strictly necessary to provide services available through our Websites and to use some of its features, such as accessing secure areas.

Performance and functionality cookies: Cookies used to enhance the performance and functionality of our Websites but are non-essential to their use. Without these cookies, however, certain functionality may become unavailable.

Analytics and customization cookies: Cookies that collect information in either aggregate form to help us customize Websites for each visitor, identify how visitors use those Websites, and gauge the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns.

Advertising cookies: Cookies that help make advertising messages more relevant to you. They perform functions like preventing the same ad from continuously reappearing, ensuring ads are properly displayed, and selecting advertisements that are based on your interests.

Social networking cookies: Cookies that enable you to share pages and content on our Websites through third party social networking websites. These cookies may also be used for advertising purposes.

How can you control Cookies?

You have the right to accept or reject cookies. You can exercise your cookie preferences by clicking the appropriate links provided on the pop-up banner when you land on one of our websites. We will ask you to update or reaffirm your choices every 12 months.

Even if you accept cookies initially, you will always have the right to withdraw your consent at a later stage. You can also modify your web browser controls to accept or refuse cookies entirely at the browser level (this setting will apply to all websites you visit).

If you choose to reject cookies, you can still use our website, though some functionality may be restricted (essentially our website will not remember any of your settings or preferences).

Please note that this does not opt you out of being served advertising – you will continue to see ads on websites you visit, but they will be generic and not tailored to your interests.

A note on essential website cookies: Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the Websites to you (i.e. our Websites would not work if these cookies were not sent), you cannot refuse or opt-out of them through our Websites. However, you can block or delete them by changing your browser settings as described above.

What about other tracking technologies, like web beacons?

Cookies are not the only way to recognize or track website visitors. We may employ a technology called clear gifs (a.k.a. Web Beacons/Web Bugs), that help us better manage the Website by informing us what content is effective. Clear gifs are tiny graphics with a unique identifier, similar in function to cookies, that are used to track the online movements of web users. In contrast to cookies, which are stored on a user’s computer hard drive, clear gifs are embedded invisibly on web pages or in emails and are about the size of the period at the end of this sentence. We may use clear gifs or pixels in our HTML-based emails to let us know which emails have been opened by recipients. This allows us to gauge the effectiveness of certain communications, and the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns.

Do we use targeted advertising?

For advertising purposes, third parties may serve cookies on your computer or mobile device. These companies may use information about your visits to this and other websites to provide relevant advertisements about goods and services you may be interested in. They may also employ technology to measure the effectiveness of those advertisements. This can be accomplished with cookies or web beacons that collect information about your visits to this and other sites. Using that information these companies may be able to identify your interests and provide relevant advertisements about goods and services. The information collected through this process does not enable us or them to identify your name, contact details, or other personally identifying details unless you choose to provide these.

How often will we update this Cookies Policy?

For advertising purposes, third parties may serve cookies on your computer or mobile device. These companies may use information about your visits to this and other websites to provide relevant advertisements about goods and services you may be interested in. They may also employ technology to measure the effectiveness of those advertisements. This can be accomplished with cookies or web beacons that collect information about your visits to this and other sites. Using that information these companies may be able to identify your interests and provide relevant advertisements about goods and services. The information collected through this process does not enable us or them to identify your name, contact details, or other personally identifying details unless you choose to provide these.

Do we use targeted advertising?

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes to the cookies we use, and the laws and regulations governing how we use them. Please revisit this Cookie Policy to stay informed about our use of cookies and related technologies.

The date at the top of this Cookie Policy indicates when it has been last updated.

Where can you get more information?

If you have any questions or complaints related to our Privacy Policy or practices with respect to the collection, use, or disclosure of Personal Data, or if you would like to update your information, please contact us here.

© 2020 Central Garden & Pet Company