Objective

We care about protecting and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy demonstrates our commitment to your privacy. We are intended to assist our Customers in understanding the purposes for collection by Bestco’s of personal information and how personal information is used, protected, stored and disclosed by Bestco’s and its employees, agents, partners participating in joint marketing and promotional programs, Program(s) or other arrangements from time to time (“Partners”), and any other authorised third party who may receive Customers’ personal information to assist us in serving our Customers.

Last Updated

Sep 21, 2023

Scope

All staff members and non-staff members

Bestco Fresh Food Mart, including its online store and offline store (“Bestco”, “we”, “us” and “our”), respects the privacy of its Customers (“Customer” or “you”). 

If you visit our websites, make online purchases, subscribe to our email communications, enter into one of our events, enrolling or applying for enrollment in a participating Program or otherwise corresponding or communicating with us, then this Privacy Policy is deemed to be agreed by you and will apply to you. 

This Privacy Policy complies with all applicable federal and provincial privacy legislation.

Personal Information

Personal information encompasses any data pertaining to a person who can be identified, either individually or when combined with other details. It includes, but is not limited to, an individual's name, residential address, email address, phone number, date of birth, or purchasing history (referred to as "Personal Information" in this Privacy Policy).

However, personal information does not cover aggregated information or any personal data that has been rendered anonymous through the removal of potentially identifying elements, making it impossible to associate the data with a specific individual.

Purposes

Bestco primarily collects, uses, and discloses Personal Information in the course of operating our businesses and administering our Programs. These activities serve the following purposes (referred to as the "Purposes"):

a) To communicate with Customers regarding their orders, purchases, or any inquiries, concerns, or questions they may have.

b) To inform Customers about any modifications to this Privacy Policy or to Programs and their functioning, when applicable.

c) With consent or as allowed by law, to inform Customers about promotions, events, offers, incentives, rewards, surveys, questionnaires, and other relevant matters, such as products and services available through the Programs or offered by Partners, that may be of interest to Customers.

d) To manage and process information related to Customers' orders, purchases, and the accumulation and redemption of points and rewards.

e) To offer services, rewards, products, and benefits to Customers and facilitate their participation in events.

f) To comprehend and analyse Customers' interests, requirements, and preferences.

g) To develop, enhance, market, recommend, and/or provide products and services that align with the needs and interests of Customers and potential Customers.

h) For marketing and analytical purposes, including the display of targeted advertising, as outlined in the Interest-Based Advertising section below.

i) To verify the identity of Customers when necessary or beneficial for transactional purposes, with the aim of reducing fraud or transaction errors.

j) To comply with applicable laws and regulatory requirements.

k) For investigation and law enforcement purposes.

It's important to note that Bestco does not collect Personal Information from Customers for any purposes other than those identified in this Privacy Policy, except when additional consent is obtained or as required or allowed by law.

Sharing

We may disclose your Personal Information to third-party service providers that we have enlisted to carry out services on our behalf, following our instructions as needed. When sharing your Personal Information with such parties, Bestco ensures that the use of this information is limited to the specific purposes we have requested. We also mandate that these parties have appropriate safeguards in place to protect your Personal Information.

For more details about our policies and practices concerning the utilization of Personal Information by third-party service providers, you can contact us at service@bestco.ca.

Bestco may also disclose your Personal Information to third parties when required or permitted by law.

Bestco does not otherwise share, provide, lease, or sell your Personal Information to any third parties unless we obtain your additional consent to do so.

Please be aware that our websites may include links to other websites. We do not assume responsibility for the privacy practices or the content of these external sites, except for our own sites. It is advisable to review the privacy policies of these other websites before deciding to furnish any Personal Information to such third-party sites.

How We Gather Personal Information

Bestco gathers Personal Information from Customers through various means, including but not limited to:

1. During enrollment in a Program.

2. When subscribing to email communications.

3. During visits to our physical stores.

4. When Customers make purchases, returns, inquiries, or redeem Program benefits both in-store and online.

5. Through video surveillance in specific areas of our stores.

6. Via our Partners.

7. Through the online use of any of our websites or Program-specific websites.

8. Through interactions with Customer services provided by Bestco and/or Program(s).

9. Through participation in surveys, questionnaires, or other research conducted by or on behalf of Bestco or a Partner.

10. Through entry into contests sponsored by Bestco.

Bestco also collects both Personal Information and non-personal information electronically, which may include data from social media, websites, and other electronic sources.

Additionally, we collect Personal Information from individuals who apply for employment through a Bestco website, in person at one of our stores, or by other means. This Personal Information is exclusively used for processing and responding to job applications.

In this Privacy Policy, references to "Customers" also encompass the individuals mentioned in paragraph (a) above, with any necessary adjustments based on the circumstances.

Retention

Bestco retains Personal Information only to the extent required for the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy or as consented to by the individual. Afterward, your Personal Information will be securely disposed of, irreversibly erased, or rendered anonymous. Personal Information may be stored "in the cloud" or in locations outside of Canada, where it may be subject to the legal regulations of the jurisdiction in which it is stored.

Security

Bestco has implemented effective technological, physical, and contractual security measures aimed at safeguarding Personal Information. These measures are designed to prevent the loss or theft of Personal Information and unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use, or modification. These security safeguards are appropriate for the sensitivity of the Personal Information in question.

We retain Personal Information actively only for as long as it is necessary for our ongoing relationship and for a specified period thereafter, as required to address inquiries or as mandated by federal and provincial laws. At the conclusion of this retention period, Personal Information is slated for disposal in accordance with our record retention policies. The specific timeline for this disposal may vary depending on the nature of the Personal Information and the purpose for which it was initially collected.

Opting Out

You generally have the option to withdraw your consent to our utilization or disclosure of your Personal Information at any time, with consideration of legal and contractual restrictions. However, it's important to note that without such consent, we may be unable to provide you with certain services or benefits. For example, if you withdraw your consent for the use of your Personal Information to receive benefits from a Program, you will no longer be eligible to participate in that Program.

As an illustration, you can opt out or unsubscribe from our direct marketing or interest-based advertising by contacting us at service@bestco.ca. It's worth mentioning that other tracking technologies may still gather data for various purposes, including analytics. Consequently, you may continue to encounter advertisements on many websites you visit. However, these advertisements will not be tailored to your perceived interests and preferences, making them potentially less relevant to you.

Access and Correction

Customers have the right to request access to the Personal Information that Bestco holds about them, except where prohibited by law. If Bestco is unable to provide access to all the Personal Information it has on record, we will provide the reasons for this limitation. When a Customer requests access to their collected and retained Personal Information, Bestco will respond to the request within 30 business days. You can obtain access to your Personal Information held by us or request modifications or deletion of that information by contacting us at service@bestco.ca. Please be aware that in certain instances, Bestco may retain some of your Personal Information for a reasonable period, as required by legal, administrative, or compliance obligations. To prevent fraudulent or unauthorized access requests, we may request identification for authentication purposes.

Changes and Updates

Bestco may update this Privacy Policy periodically as our business evolves, in response to legal changes, with the introduction of new technologies, or the launch of new features, products, or services. When modifications are made to this Privacy Policy, we will revise the "last updated" date at the top of the Policy. We recommend checking this Policy periodically to stay informed about any changes. If we make significant changes, we will prominently post them on our website or directly notify registered Customers.

If you disagree with any amendments to the Privacy Policy, you have the option to close your account and cease using our services, or in some cases, opt out. By continuing to use our services, including our websites, after we publish or communicate a change, you indicate your consent to the revised terms of the Privacy Policy. Occasionally, we may identify new purposes for collecting or using Personal Information, such as in connection with a new promotion or Program. We will describe these uses in separate notices or other communications.

Contact Us

If you wish to opt out of specific uses of your Personal Information, request access, seek correction or deletion, file a complaint, or have general questions or concerns regarding our Privacy Policy, please feel free to contact us via email at service@bestco.ca.