Privacy Policy

As used in this Privacy Policy, “Dolcegrocer”, “us,” “we” and “our” refers to Dolcegrocer by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates.

Dolcegrocer values the privacy of its customers’ information. This Privacy Policy describes how we acquire personal information through this website, our mobile, voice and social media applications (collectively, this “Website”) and how we use, share and protect that information. By viewing this Website, you are consenting to the information collection, use and disclosure practices described in this Privacy Policy.

Privacy Principles

We follow the following principles in order to protect your privacy:

• We do not collect any more personal information about you than is necessary;
• We only use your personal information for the purposes we specify in this Privacy Policy, unless you agree otherwise;
• We do not keep your personal information if it is no longer needed; and
• Other than as we specify in this Privacy Policy, we do not share your personal information with third parties.

Types of Information Gathered

We may obtain personal information from and about you in a number of different ways, including:

1. Information that you give to us voluntarily while using a feature of this Website;
2. When you purchase, order, return, exchange or request information about our products and services in our stores or on this Website;
3. As described in the section titled “Cookies” below, or when you participate in interactive features of this Website;
4. When you place online orders, purchase gift cards or participate on our customer engagement program;
5. When you conduct a transaction where we collect information required by law (for example, age-restricted purchases);
6. When you sign up for our e-mails, mobile messages, or social media notifications;
7. When you register at a third-party website, and provide personal information to such third parties, as we may (pursuant to agreements between Dolcegrocer and those third parties) obtain such information to populate our registration forms for use when you hyperlink to this Website;
8. When you enter a contest or sweepstakes; or
9. When you send us email messages, call us by telephone, or text us using any device (including when you provide us with comments, suggestions or other input).

During such activities, we may collect personal information about you that is not publicly available and can identify you, such as your name, mailing address, email address, phone number, birth date, gender, location and financial information, such as credit card number. We do so to fulfill our contractual obligations (such as providing our services or completing orders) and for our legitimate business purposes (such as improving the Website or services). We may also collect personal information with your consent.

Cookies

We use cookies to receive and store certain types of information (such as the pages you visit on this Website, which web address you came from, the type of browser/device/hardware you are using, search terms and IP-based geographic location) whenever you interact with this Website through your computer or mobile device. This information helps us customize your experience while visiting this Website and makes our marketing messages more relevant. You can opt out of IP-based geolocation web services at any time by changing your browser or device settings. You may also modify your cookie settings in your browser through your browser settings. Please note that if you set your browser to disable cookies you may not be able to fully access and use the Website.

Analytics

We also may use third-party website analytics tools (such as Google Analytics), that collect information about user traffic on and interactions with this Website. The information we collect by automated means may include, but is not limited to, the following:

• information about the devices you use to access the Internet (such as the IP address, location, and the type of the device, operating system, and web browser);
• dates, times, and duration of visits to this Website (including whether you are a registered member or first time visitor); and
• information on actions taken on this Website (such as page views and site navigation patterns)

Hyperlinks

This Website may contain hyperlinks to third-party websites. This Privacy Policy does not apply to information collected at any such third-party websites. Dolcegrocer is not responsible for the privacy practices of such third-party websites. We encourage you to carefully review the privacy policies applicable to any website or service you visit so that you understand the policies applicable to those sites or services.

Registration

In order for you to receive certain benefits of this Website you may first be asked to register by supplying certain information. The more information you choose to share with us, the better we can craft our services to meet your needs.

Surveys and Polls

From time to time, users of this Website may be asked to participate in voluntary surveys and polls. As a part of this process, you may be asked to supply personal information, such as demographic information and lifestyle preferences. These surveys will be strictly voluntary and you can choose to disclose this information or not.

Use of Information

We may use information gathered through this Website to: (i) provide services to you; (ii) administer our business activities; (iii) process, fulfill, manage and bill purchases, orders, payments, returns, exchanges and requests for information (including through third-party merchandise and service suppliers); (iv) understand demographics and content preferences; (v) better serve you and other Dolcegrocer customers: (vi) deliver coupons, mobile coupons, newsletters, promotions, new services, in-store messages, emails and text messages; (vii) send marketing communications and other information regarding our products, services and promotions; (viii) administer and improve this Website; (ix) conduct research and analysis, including focus groups and surveys; (x) administer sweepstakes and contests; (xi) provide notice of changes to this Website; (xii) prevent fraudulent transactions and monitor against theft; (xiii) provide information in connection with the sale, purchase, merger or reorganization of Dolcegrocer; and (xiv) assist law enforcement, respond to subpoenas or disclose information when legally compelled to do so or when Dolcegrocer, in good faith, believes that the law requires it or for the protection of our legal rights or those of a third party.

Additionally, if you elect to opt-in to use our voice or mobile application(s), we may collect information about: (i) the location of your device, including GPS location, to enable the functionality of our applications to provide you with information about stores or Nutritional Health Coaches near you, and (ii) the content of your queries, to provide answers to your questions and to improve our services.

Disclosure of Information

We will not sell or otherwise share personally identifying information with third parties or nonaffiliated companies except for those purposes described above, or as required by law. However, we may share aggregate data collected through this Website that does not personally identify any party and may from time to time share this type of data with our business partners.

Information from Public Forums

Any information you submit in a blog, chat room, social network or other public forum can be read, collected, or used by us and others, including, for example, to personalize your experience on this Website. You are responsible for the information you disclose in these forums and such information is not protected under this Privacy Policy.

Your Rights

Choice Regarding Promotional Communications

If you receive promotional email from us, you may unsubscribe at any time by following the instructions contained within the email. You may also opt-out from receiving promotional email from us, and any other promotional communications that we may send to you from time to time (e.g., by postal mail) by sending your request to us via the contact information at the end of this Privacy Policy. We try to address these requests as quickly as possible, although you may receive promotional email from us before we implement your request. Additionally, even after you opt out of receiving promotional messages from us, you will continue to receive administrative messages from us, for example, regarding your orders.

Accessing, Amending and Deleting your Personal Information

If we offer the ability to create user accounts or profiles on this Website, you may have the ability to access and update many categories of personal information that you provide to us by logging in to your account and accessing your account settings. If you wish to access or amend any other personal information we hold about you, you may contact us as outlined at the end of this Privacy Policy. We may request proof of your identity before sharing or updating such personal information.

If you request that we delete the personal information that we have collected, we will do so within a reasonable period of time, but we may need to retain some of your personal information in order to satisfy our legal obligations, or where we reasonably believe that we have a legitimate reason to do so.

Additionally, if you are in the European Union, you may reach out to us to request a copy of your personal information, to request a transfer of your personal information to a third party in certain circumstances, to withdraw any consents that you have provided for processing your personal information, or to request that we cease processing your personal information. However, please note that it may not be possible for us to cease processing all of the personal information we hold if we have another legal basis or requirement for maintaining such information. You also have the right to make a complaint at any time to the relevant data protection authority in your country.

Modifications to this Privacy Policy

Dolcegrocer reserves the right to make changes to this Privacy Policy at any time, and such changes will be effective immediately upon being posted on this Website. When we do, we will also revise the “last updated” date at the beginning of this Privacy Policy. If we change this Privacy Policy in a manner that is materially less restrictive of our use or disclosure of your personal information, we will use reasonable efforts to notify you of the change and to provide you with an opportunity to opt out of such new or different use. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy from time to time for any changes.

How We Respond to Do Not Track Signals

Your web browser may let you choose your preference as to whether you want to allow the collection of information about your online activities over time and across different websites or online services. At this time, this Website does not respond to the preferences you may have set in your web browser regarding such collection of your information, and this Website may continue to collect information in the manner described in this Privacy Policy.

Children’s Privacy

This Website is not intended for the use by anyone under the age 18 years. Dolcegrocer does not knowingly solicit and does not wish to receive any information from children. If you believe we might have any information from or about a child under the age of 18, please contact us using the contact information below.

Security and Retention

We have attempted to take all reasonable steps to have physical, electronic and procedural safeguards in place to protect personal information gathered through this Website. This includes compliance with related federal regulations and may include use of industry-standard Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption to prevent any loss, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure, or modification of personal information. Unfortunately, no data transmission over the Internet can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. As a result, while we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee or warrant the security of any information you transmit to or from our web sites, and you do so at your own risk.

We will retain your personal information for as long as needed to fulfill your requests, provide this Website, comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes and enforce our agreements.

International Visitors

Our servers and data centers are located in the United States. If you choose to use the Services from outside the United States, then you should know that you are transferring your Personal Information outside of your region and into the United States for storage and processing. Also, we may transfer your data from the United States to other countries or regions in connection with storage and processing of data, fulfilling your requests, and operating the Services. You should know that each region can have its own privacy and data security laws, some of which may be less stringent as compared to those of your own region.

Refund policies

Refund policies typically specify a timeframe within which refunds can be requested, often requiring proof of purchase and adherence to conditions like returning items in original packaging. Some policies offer full or partial refunds, usually issued via the original payment method. Exceptions may apply, such as for digital downloads or personalized items. Services or subscriptions may have cancellation policies instead. Customers should review the company's specific policy for details and contact customer service to initiate a refund. Refund policies aim to balance consumer protection with the company's operational needs, providing clarity and fairness in transactions.