Privacy policy

OVERVIEW

Spencer® ("we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share and protect information about you when you visit our website at spencercafe.store, make a purchase, or interact with us in any way.

Spencer® operates in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 ("POPIA"), which is the primary data protection legislation in South Africa. By using our website or services, you consent to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

If you have questions or concerns about this policy or our privacy practices, please contact us at info@spencercafe.store.

SECTION 1 – INFORMATION WE COLLECT

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us and information that is automatically collected when you use our website. The types of information we collect include:

1.1 Information You Provide Directly

Full name and contact details (email address, phone number)
Billing address and payment information (processed securely via Shopify Payments — we do not store your card details)
Order history and purchase preferences
Messages, feedback or enquiries submitted via email, phone or our website contact form
Account login credentials if you create a customer account on our store

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

IP address and browser type
Pages visited, time spent on pages, and links clicked
Device information (operating system, screen resolution, device type)
Referring website or source (how you arrived at our site)
Cookie data and session identifiers (see Section 7 – Cookies)

1.3 Information from Third Parties

We may receive limited information about you from third-party platforms such as Shopify (our e-commerce provider), Google Analytics, or social media platforms if you interact with our content on those platforms. This information is used only in accordance with this policy.

SECTION 2 – HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION

Spencer® uses the personal information we collect for the following purposes:

Purpose	Legal Basis (POPIA)
Processing and fulfilling your Click & Collect orders	Performance of a contract
Sending order confirmation and collection-ready notifications	Performance of a contract
Responding to your enquiries and customer service requests	Legitimate interest
Improving our website, products and customer experience	Legitimate interest
Sending marketing communications (with your consent)	Consent
Complying with legal and regulatory obligations	Legal obligation
Preventing fraud and ensuring platform security	Legitimate interest

We will not use your personal information for any purpose other than those listed above without your prior consent.

SECTION 3 – SHARING YOUR INFORMATION

Spencer® does not sell, trade or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

3.1 Service Providers

We share information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our website and business. These include:

Shopify Inc. — our e-commerce and payment processing platform (hosted in accordance with their privacy policy)
Google Analytics — website analytics and user behaviour tracking
Email service providers — for order confirmation and marketing communications
Courier or delivery partners — if and when delivery services are introduced in future

All service providers are required to handle your information in accordance with applicable data protection laws and are prohibited from using your data for their own marketing purposes.

3.2 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your personal information if required to do so by law, court order, or a competent regulatory authority, or where we believe in good faith that such disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property or safety of Spencer®, our customers or the public.

3.3 Business Transfers

In the event that Spencer® is acquired, merged with or transferred to another business, your personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email or a prominent notice on our website before your information is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

SECTION 4 – DATA STORAGE AND SECURITY

Your personal information is stored securely on Shopify's cloud infrastructure, which is hosted in accordance with industry-standard security practices. Spencer® takes appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, loss, destruction or alteration.

These measures include:

SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption for all data transmitted through our website
Secure, access-controlled systems for storing customer data
Limited staff access to personal information on a need-to-know basis
Regular review of our data collection, storage and processing practices

While we implement stringent security measures, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but are committed to protecting your personal information to the best of our ability.

SECTION 5 – HOW LONG WE KEEP YOUR INFORMATION

We will retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. Our general retention guidelines are as follows:

Order and transaction records: retained for a minimum of 5 years in compliance with South African tax and accounting laws
Customer account information: retained for as long as your account is active, and for 12 months after account closure
Marketing opt-in records: retained until you withdraw consent or unsubscribe
Website analytics data: retained in anonymised form for up to 26 months
General customer service correspondence: retained for 3 years from the date of last interaction

Once your information is no longer required, it will be securely deleted or anonymised.

SECTION 6 – YOUR RIGHTS UNDER POPIA

As a data subject under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), you have the following rights in relation to your personal information held by Spencer®:

Right of Access — you may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you at any time
Right to Correction — you may request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal information
Right to Deletion — you may request the deletion of your personal information, subject to our legal retention obligations
Right to Restrict Processing — you may ask us to limit how we use your personal information in certain circumstances
Right to Object — you may object to the processing of your personal information for direct marketing purposes at any time
Right to Data Portability — you may request that we provide your personal information in a structured, commonly used format
Right to Lodge a Complaint — you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa if you believe your rights under POPIA have been violated

To exercise any of the above rights, please contact our Information Officer at:

Spencer® Information Officer

Email: info@spencercafe.store

Phone: 071 768 9611

Address: 9 Spencer Rd, Salt River, Cape Town, 7925

Information Regulator of South Africa (for complaints):

Website: www.inforegulator.org.za | Email: inforeg@justice.gov.za

SECTION 7 – COOKIES AND TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience, analyse website traffic, and personalise content. A cookie is a small text file placed on your device when you visit our site.

Types of Cookies We Use

Essential Cookies — required for the website to function correctly, including maintaining your shopping cart and session. These cannot be disabled.
Analytics Cookies — used by Google Analytics to collect anonymised data about how visitors use our site, helping us improve the experience.
Preference Cookies — used to remember your settings and preferences across visits.
Marketing Cookies — used to deliver relevant advertising and track campaign performance (only with your consent).

Managing Cookies

You may control and disable cookies through your browser settings at any time. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website. By continuing to use our site without changing your cookie settings, you consent to our use of cookies as described in this policy.

SECTION 8 – MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

We may send you marketing emails, newsletters or promotional messages if you have opted in to receive them at checkout or via our website. These communications may include information about new products, seasonal offerings, promotions, events or updates from Spencer®.

You may unsubscribe from marketing communications at any time by:

Clicking the "Unsubscribe" link in any marketing email, or
Contacting us directly at info@spencercafe.store with the subject line "Unsubscribe".

Please note that even if you opt out of marketing communications, we will still send you transactional messages related to your orders (e.g., order confirmations and collection notifications).

SECTION 9 – THIRD-PARTY LINKS AND PLATFORMS

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, platforms or social media pages (such as Instagram, Facebook or Google Maps). This Privacy Policy applies only to spencercafe.store and Spencer®'s direct services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of any third-party sites and encourage you to review their privacy policies independently before submitting any personal information.

SECTION 10 – CHILDREN'S PRIVACY

Our website and services are not directed at children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information without parental consent, please contact us immediately at info@spencercafe.store and we will take steps to delete such information promptly.

SECTION 11 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

Spencer® reserves the right to update or amend this Privacy Policy at any time. We will post the revised policy on our website at spencercafe.store with an updated "Last Updated" date. Where changes are material, we will endeavour to notify you by email or via a prominent notice on our website.

Your continued use of our website or services after the posting of changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy. We encourage you to review this page periodically to stay informed of how we protect your information.

SECTION 12 – CONTACT & INFORMATION OFFICER

For any questions, requests or concerns relating to this Privacy Policy or how Spencer® handles your personal information, please contact our Information Officer: