Data Protection for Retail & Ecommerce
Technology and data protection have had a significant impact on both traditional bricks & mortar stores and ecommerce retailers.
The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR), alongside both the UK and EU GDPR, means all retailers must pay special attention to maintaining their sales and marketing databases, the special requirement around recording consent, managing data retention and disposal, as well as other data subject rights.
Retailers often handle large amounts of data and can have different systems fulfilling varying purposes. Many retailers still rely on paper-based systems, so need to consider data minimisation processes to reduce duplication and to ensure they don’t hold unnecessary data. Staff training across stores is often needed to ensure all employees understand their responsibilities with regard to data protection.
The DPO Centre can help you organise your data landscape and ensure you remain compliant with data protection regulations.
This page explains what data protection legislation means for retail & eCommerce organisations and the key areas they need to consider when managing personal data.
WHAT DOES THE GDPR LEGISLATION MEAN FOR ECOMMERCE & RETAIL ORGANISATIONS?
Like all other organisations, retail and eCommerce organisations must:
- Access the data stored on them
- ensure the data is correct and modify it as necessary
- Have it deleted (unless needed for legitimate reasons)
- Process data on a large scale
- Use the data for profiling or automated decision making
DATA PROTECTION SERVICES FOR RETAIL & ECOMMERCE
The DPO Centre offers a range of services tailored toward the concerns of ecommerce and retail businesses. We address your specific concerns through our consultancy services, outsourced DPOs, EU and UK Representatives service, staff training programmes, and a data protection Advice Line.
Outsourced Data Protection Officers
With one or more retail stores or an active ecommerce website, you will be processing a high quantity of data from your customers. Our data protection experts can help you handle this data, working either remotely or on-site as an integral member of your team. You’ll receive tailored advice and guidance on your policy documents, processes and procedures, , Records of Processing Activities, data processing and sharing agreements, and data subject rights.
GDPR Representative
If your ecommerce or retail shop processes data on EU or UK residents and you don’t have a physical presence in these territories, then you may need to appoint a UK or EU Representative. With our EU and UK Representation service, we provide the necessary establishment details such as an email address, local telephone number answered in the local language, physical address, and a translation service that enables us to correspond with your data subjects in any major language.
Data Protection Consultancy
Ecommerce and retail businesses have particular data protection concerns, like the management of consumer and marketing databases. With our large team of data protection experts, we provide consultants with the subject matter expertise your business needs. By engaging our services, your retail or ecommerce store will be able to demonstrate compliance, improve transparency and reduce data protection risk.
Data Protection Training
Improving your policies and procedures will be of less value if your employees don’t understand the role they play in improving your protection of data. Our staff training and awareness courses will teach your staff the basics of data protection, how to deal with personal data effectively, how to identify individuals’ rights requests, what to do in the event of a breach and how they can best ensure that they and your business remains compliant.
Data Protection Advice Line
We run an Advice Line for our clients, staffed by our large team of experienced DPOs. If your ecommerce or retail business engages with our services, you will have access to this helpline to assist with your ongoing questions or advice. We also offer access to our Advice Line as a standalone service to organisations that wish to draw upon our wider pool of knowledge than is available in-house.
IMPORTANT DATA PROTECTION CONSIDERATIONS FOR RETAIL & ECOMMERCE
Retail and eCommerce organisations must protect personal data in a wide range of their operations. Some major considerations include:
Sales and Direct Marketing
- Managing consent of individuals receiving direct marketing materials
- Impact of Personal Electronic Communications Regulation (PECR) and ePrivacy
- Data retention
- Data base management and data minimisation
eCommerce
- Data held in contact forms
- Large quantity
- Financial, payment and transactional details
- Automatic profiling
- Cookies and tracking pixels
Multiple bricks and mortar outlets
- Data held in multiple formats and locations
- Minimising duplicated data
- Disposal and retentions
- Legacy and non-standard system
- Paper systems
Staff and Training
- Training staff to understand their protection responsibilities
- Embedding a culture of data protection often across multiple sites staffed by part-time, temporary and permanent staff
Administration
- Email systems
- Staff payroll, pension and HR records
- Access and security CCTV
Data Security
- Maintaining network and server security
- Data encryption
Policies and agreements
- Privacy, retention and data protection policies
- Staff handbooks
- Data sharing agreements
- Data processing agreements
BENEFITS OF OUR OUTSOURCED DATA PROTECTION SERVICES
Ecommerce and retail businesses need experienced data protection experts to help with their processing of personal data. With the depth of knowledge on our team, The DPO Centre’s experts can bring greater value to your organisation than is available from an independent DPO or small agency. With experience across a wide range of industry sectors globally, working with a range of tools and platforms, our consultants have built up the knowledge and experience necessary to deliver cost-effective and appropriate solutions for your business.
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DATA PROTECTION SERVICES FOR SECTORS
Chloe Steele
360 Dotnet Operations Director
“Our DPO and the overall service has been a brilliant addition to our business. Their expertise has been invaluable in ensuring that we are up to speed with our general data protection obligations as well as those specific to the financial services sector.”
Chris Farman
Bristow & Sutor Technical Manager
“Communication between the DPO, our team and the other organisations we work with has been excellent and this strong working relationship is set to continue and thrive”
