Cookie Policy
Last updated: 6 May 2026.
This policy explains the cookies and similar technologies LoveHomeStyle.co.uk sets, why we set them, and how you can control them. It supplements our Privacy Policy, which covers our wider data practices.
This policy was rewritten on 6 May 2026 to match what the site actually does - the previous version contained inaccurate claims about cookie behaviour.
What cookies are
A cookie is a small text file your browser stores on your device when you visit a website. Cookies are read by the same site on a later visit, which is how a site can "remember" things between page loads or visits - your preferences, the items in your basket, whether you accepted the cookie banner.
The UK Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) and UK GDPR govern when and how we can set cookies. The short version: strictly necessary cookies don't need consent; everything else does, and we have to make rejecting cookies as easy as accepting them.
Cookies we set
The full inventory below is what the site actually places. We've split it by category (strictly necessary vs analytics) so you can see what runs by default and what only runs if you accept the analytics category.
Strictly necessary cookies
These are required for the site to work or to remember your cookie choice. They run by default and don't need consent under PECR.
| Name | Set by | Purpose | Lifetime |
|---|---|---|---|
cc_cookie |
LoveHomeStyle.co.uk (first-party) | Stores your cookie consent decision so we don't show you the banner on every page. Contains: which categories you accepted, when, your consent ID, and a revision number. | 182 days |
lhs_admin |
LoveHomeStyle.co.uk (first-party) | Admin session cookie. Only set after a successful admin login. Required for the admin area to know you're logged in. | Session (deleted when you close the browser) |
Analytics cookies
These run only if you accept the "analytics" category in the cookie banner. They help us understand which pages people visit and how the site is used. We can rebuild the site better if we know what's actually used and what isn't.
| Name | Set by | Purpose | Lifetime |
|---|---|---|---|
_ga |
Google Analytics 4 (Google Ireland Limited) | Distinguishes individual visitors with a randomly-assigned client ID. Used by Google Analytics to count unique visitors over time. | 2 years |
_ga_LEEZDTGE3W |
Google Analytics 4 | Holds session-state for our specific GA4 property. Used to count and time sessions. | 2 years |
If you don't accept the analytics category, none of these are set and Google Analytics doesn't run. Google Consent Mode v2 is wired up so analytics requests are blocked at the browser level until you've consented, not just suppressed in our code.
Cookies we don't set
For clarity:
- No advertising cookies. We don't run on-site display ads. We don't set cookies for ad targeting, retargeting, or audience-building.
- No social-network cookies. We don't embed Facebook Pixel, Twitter widgets, Pinterest tags or similar trackers. Sharing happens through plain links.
- No data brokers. No data-broker cookies, no third-party identity-graph trackers.
What about local storage?
Some on-site features use your browser's localStorage rather than cookies. localStorage works the same way for our purposes: it stores small bits of data in your browser, only readable by us, and only sent to our servers if you take an action that requires it. Under UK ICO guidance, localStorage is treated the same as cookies for consent and disclosure.
| Key | Purpose | Sent to our server? |
|---|---|---|
lhs_recently_viewed |
Remembers the last few products you viewed so we can show a "recently viewed" row on later visits. | No - kept only in your browser. |
compare (or similar) |
Holds the products you've added to the comparison tray. | No - kept only in your browser. |
You can clear localStorage from your browser's developer tools or by clearing site data - same controls cookies use.
Affiliate-link tracking when you click through
When you click through to a retailer from our site, the affiliate network for that retailer (usually Awin; Amazon Associates for Amazon products) records that the click came from us. They typically place a small cookie on the retailer's site so they can attribute a sale back to us if you buy. That cookie is set by the affiliate network (or the retailer themselves), not by us, and it lives on the retailer's site, not ours. The relevant policies:
If you don't want affiliate networks to track your clicks, don't click affiliate links. The site is fully usable for browsing and comparing without any clicking through.
How to control cookies
Three places, in order of granularity:
- Our cookie banner. The first time you visit, you see a banner with three buttons: Accept all, Reject all, Manage preferences. You can change your choice at any time using the small "Cookie preferences" link in the footer.
- Browser controls. Every modern browser lets you block or delete cookies on a per-site basis. aboutcookies.org has guides for the major browsers.
- Browser tracking-protection mode. Firefox's Enhanced Tracking Protection, Brave's Shields and Safari's Intelligent Tracking Prevention all block third-party cookies by default. Our analytics cookie is first-party, so it isn't blocked by these - but if you've rejected analytics in our banner, it isn't set in the first place.
If you reject all non-essential cookies, the site will continue to work normally. The only on-site features that depend on cookies are the cookie banner itself (which has to remember your decision) and the admin login (which doesn't apply to most visitors).
Updates to this policy
If the cookies we set change, we'll update this page and the cookie consent revision counter, which will re-prompt you on your next visit. The "Last updated" date at the top tracks any change.
Contact
Questions about cookies on this site, or if you spot a cookie we've set that isn't listed here:
