Privacy policy
GroZen helps you compare what your grocery list costs at stores near you. This policy explains what information GroZen collects, how we use and share it, and the choices you have. GroZen is operated by Alex Cowen, a sole proprietor based in Kirkland, Washington. "We" and "us" in this policy mean GroZen.
What we collect
Information you enter: your ZIP code, the items on your list, their quantities, and settings such as how many stores you're willing to visit. You don't need an account, and we don't ask for your name to compare a list.
Information you send us: if you email us, we receive your email address and whatever you write.
Technical information: like most websites, our hosting provider automatically receives information such as your IP address, browser type, device type, and the pages you request. This is used to deliver the site and protect it from abuse.
Affiliate link information: if you click a link to buy from a retailer online, our affiliate network, impact.com, and the retailer may record that click using cookies or similar technology so the retailer can credit the referral to GroZen.
We don't use advertising trackers, and we don't currently use analytics tools that track you across other websites.
How we use it
We use your ZIP code and list to find nearby stores, look up prices, and show you the cheapest way to buy your basket. We use de-identified lists for research on household grocery costs, as described below. We use technical information to run, secure, and fix the site. We use emails you send to reply to you.
After your results are shown, we keep a de-identified copy of your list for up to six months. Before it's stored, we remove anything that could connect it to you or your device, such as IP address and session identifiers, and we shorten your ZIP code to its first three digits. We use these de-identified lists to study what households actually buy, as a supplement to government price statistics such as the Consumer Price Index. We may publish or share aggregate findings, like average basket costs by region, that can't identify any person or household. We won't try to re-identify these lists, and we require anyone we share them with to make the same commitment. After six months, we delete them.
Because these copies can't be linked back to you, we can't find or delete a specific person's list on request. Nothing we keep from your list is tied to your name, email address, or device.
How we share it
Retailer data services: to price your list, we send product searches and store locations to retailers' official data services, including those of Kroger and Walmart. These requests contain item names and store identifiers. They don't contain your name, email address, or IP address.
Service providers: we use companies that host our site and handle our email, such as Cloudflare and Google. They process information only to provide those services to us.
Affiliate partners: when you click a retailer link, impact.com and that retailer receive information about the click as described above. Their use of it is covered by their own privacy policies.
Legal reasons: we may disclose information if required by law, or to protect the rights, safety, or property of GroZen, our users, or others.
We don't sell your personal information, and we don't share it for targeted advertising.
Your choices and rights
You can use GroZen without giving us your name or email address. You can block or delete cookies in your browser. Doing so won't stop GroZen from working, though a retailer may not be able to credit an affiliate referral.
Depending on where you live, including Washington and California, you may have rights to access, correct, or delete personal information we hold about you, and to opt out of certain uses. To make a request, email privacy@grozen.app. We'll respond within the time required by law and won't treat you differently for making a request.
Security and retention
We use reasonable safeguards to protect information we handle. We keep de-identified lists for up to six months, as described above. We keep emails you send only as long as needed to respond and keep records, and technical logs only as long as our hosting provider retains them for security and operations.
Children
GroZen isn't directed to children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has sent us personal information, contact us and we'll delete it.
Changes to this policy
If we change this policy, we'll update the effective date above. If a change materially affects how we use your information, we'll note it on the home page before it takes effect.
Contact
Email privacy@grozen.app.