1. Scope and our role
This policy applies to MerchEvolution's app, storefront components, analytics, support, and public website. For shopper information processed through a store, the merchant decides why the information is used and MerchEvolution acts as its service provider or processor. We act independently for merchant account, security, billing, and support communications.
2. Information we process
- Merchant and store data: store domain, authorized Shopify user and session information, app settings, and support messages.
- Catalog data: collections, products, ordering, inventory state, experiment configuration, and aggregate results.
- Storefront activity: a random visitor identifier, page and collection views, product views, cart and checkout events, page path, product or collection identifiers, quantity, and transaction value.
- Attribution data: signed experiment assignments and the order, line-item, refund, product, quantity, and revenue values needed to measure an ordering's performance. We do not request customer names, email addresses, phone numbers, or postal addresses for this purpose.
- Technical data: IP address, request time, method, path, status, device or browser information made available by standard web requests, and diagnostic information.
3. Cookies and local storage
Our storefront component creates a random merchevolution_visitoridentifier only when Shopify's Customer Privacy API reports that analytics processing is allowed. It is stored for up to one year so a shopper keeps the same experiment assignment. Assignment tokens may be kept in local storage and a private Shopify cart attribute for up to 30 days so paid orders can be attributed to the variant the shopper saw. Without analytics permission, MerchEvolution uses the store's native collection ordering and does not create or persist these identifiers. These values are pseudonymous and are not used for advertising.
4. How we use information
We use the information above to:
- run parallel collection-ordering experiments and keep assignments consistent;
- measure revenue, cart, checkout, refund, and engagement outcomes;
- evolve and apply better-performing product orderings;
- operate, secure, troubleshoot, and improve MerchEvolution;
- provide support and comply with legal obligations.
We do not sell personal information or use it for cross-context behavioral advertising.
5. Sharing
We share information with Shopify as necessary to provide the app and with DigitalOcean, LLC, which hosts the service and encrypted backups in the United States. We may also disclose information when required by law, to protect rights and security, or as part of a merger, financing, or sale of the business. Service providers may use data only to perform services for us under applicable contractual safeguards.
6. Retention and deletion
- Raw storefront events and visitor assignments are retained for up to 90 days.
- Order and refund attribution records are retained for up to 365 days.
- Experiment configuration and aggregate results remain until the merchant deletes them, uninstalls the app, or requests deletion.
- Store and session data are deleted when Shopify sends an uninstall or shop-redaction request. Residual backups expire within 14 days.
- Security and diagnostic records are retained only as long as reasonably needed to operate and protect the service.
7. Your choices and rights
Shoppers should first contact the Shopify merchant from whom they purchased, because the merchant controls their store data. We respond to Shopify's mandatory data-request and deletion webhooks. Merchants can stop experiments, disable the storefront component, uninstall the app, or contact us to request access, correction, export, or deletion where applicable.
8. International processing and security
Information is processed in the United States and may be processed outside the country where it was collected. Where required, we rely on lawful transfer mechanisms and contractual safeguards. We use TLS, access controls, data minimization, retention limits, integrity-checked backups, and monitoring, but no online service can guarantee absolute security.
9. Children
MerchEvolution is a business service and is not directed to children.
10. Changes and contact
We may update this policy as the service or law changes and will revise the effective date above. Questions or privacy requests can be sent to support@alestainer.com or mailed to Antoshka LLC, 219 James Street, Smithfield, VA 23430, United States.