Markdown Optimizer: Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Markdown Optimizer processes merchant, store, and operational commerce data from Shopify, plus the settings merchants add inside the app. This Privacy Policy explains what we collect, how we use it, how long we keep it, and the rights available to merchants and customers.

2. What We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of information:

Store and account information

Shop domain, plan and billing status, timezone and currency settings, and store contact details made available through Shopify.

Merchant authentication and audit data

Shopify session records and app authentication data, which may include merchant or staff user ID, name, email address, account-owner flag, locale, and encrypted access tokens. We use this for secure access, operational notices, and to understand who triggered certain actions in the app.

Product, inventory, and location data

Product titles, variant titles, SKUs, barcodes, pricing, compare-at pricing, unit cost, inventory quantities, inventory item IDs, tags, product type, vendor, product images, and location-level inventory facts used to work out which products are due a markdown and to check each step against the margin floor.

Order and markdown performance data

Order access is optional and is requested only when a store uses suggestions. Where it is granted, units sold are counted per product variant per day, and only that total (variant, date, and quantity) reaches Markdown Optimizer. We do not receive order IDs or customer names, email addresses, phone numbers, or addresses. We also keep markdown records: which products have reached which step of a ladder, and what was applied or held.

Merchant-provided inputs

Markdown ladders and their earlier versions, AI context notes, approval choices, and other configuration data entered in the app.

3. How We Use Information

We use the information described above solely to provide and improve Markdown Optimizer's services. This includes:

Working out which products are due a markdown as they age.
Checking each markdown step against the margin floor: cost, or cost plus a percentage the merchant chooses.
Generating AI-assisted markdown proposals and the plain-language explanations shown with them.
Applying markdowns to Shopify product prices and compare-at prices when a step comes due on a ladder the merchant has switched on.
Recording merchant approvals, ladder changes, state transitions, sync attempts, and markdown outcomes for support and audit purposes.
Sending operational reminders, audit notices, and privacy-response emails when needed.
Processing billing and subscription management through Shopify.
Maintaining service reliability, troubleshooting issues, and improving store-specific recommendations.
Using infrastructure and application telemetry for security, fraud prevention, cost control, and service monitoring.
Recording GDPR webhook handling and operational access events so privacy requests and security incidents can be audited.

We never sell, rent, or share store data with third parties for marketing or advertising purposes.

The embedded app is designed without third-party advertising trackers. If we introduce product analytics tooling in the future, we will update this policy before using it for merchant-facing behavior analysis.

4. AI Processing

Markdown Optimizer sends selected store-operational data to an AI service to generate markdown proposals and merchant-facing copy. This may include product titles, variant titles, SKUs, prices, unit costs, inventory levels, units-sold totals, ladder settings, and merchant notes or preferences relevant to the recommendation.

This AI input is not fully anonymized because product and SKU data can identify items in a merchant's catalog. It is intentionally limited to business and operational data. We do not send customer names, payment details, or full customer contact records to the AI service as part of the normal recommendation pipeline.

We may also use store-level operational outcomes, such as which proposals were accepted, ladder settings, and markdown outcomes, to improve future recommendations for that merchant.

5. Data Retention and Deletion

Where order access is granted, Markdown Optimizer uses units-sold totals for the last 30 days to support suggestions.
We retain merchant, store, and operational data only for as long as it is needed to provide the service, maintain auditability, support rollback and billing workflows, and comply with Shopify or legal obligations.
If the app is uninstalled, we promptly remove Shopify session data and revoke app access tokens.
When Shopify later sends the mandatory shop/redact webhook, we delete the shop record and related app data unless a longer retention period is required by law.
Uninstalling removes the store record, and the ladders, product enrolments, team records, and audit trail are deleted with it.

6. Shopify Privacy Compliance

Markdown Optimizer is designed with privacy by default. We comply with Shopify's mandatory privacy webhooks:

customers/data_request: we review what Markdown Optimizer holds that relates to the request. Because the app receives no customer personal data, the response confirms that we hold nothing for that customer.
customers/redact: the app holds no order-line or customer records, so there is nothing to redact and we confirm that to Shopify.
shop/redact: we delete the shop record and related operational app data from our database after Shopify sends this webhook, unless a legal retention obligation applies.

7. Security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards to protect merchant data against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.

Examples include:

MFA on the core control planes we rely on.
Secret management in Azure Key Vault.
Authenticated Shopify sessions.
Redaction of sensitive fields in logs.
Separation of production and development data where possible.

We protect access tokens and API credentials as sensitive data.

8. Privacy Rights

Merchants and customers may have rights under applicable privacy laws, including rights of access, deletion, correction, and objection. The exact rights depend on local law and the merchant's role as controller for their store data.

Markdown Optimizer assists merchants in responding to privacy requests through Shopify's required privacy webhooks and on request by email. Customers should usually submit privacy requests through the merchant or Shopify.

9. Contact Us

For privacy-related requests, data deletion, or questions about this policy:

Email: privacy@sparande.co.uk

For procurement or sales questions:

Email: sales@sparande.co.uk

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our product, legal obligations, or processing practices. The latest version will be posted here with the updated effective date.