Cookie policy

This Cookie Policy explains what cookies are, how we use them on our websites, and how you can control your cookie settings at any time.

When we say “we”, “us” or “our”, we mean Penguin Books Limited and The Random House Group Limited (referred to together as Penguin Random House UK), including our websites such as penguin.co.uk, DeadGoodBooks.co.uk and TheHappyFoodie.co.uk.

1. What are cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device when you visit a website. They help the site remember your actions and preferences (like login details, items in your shopping basket, or preferences you’ve chosen).
Cookies also help us understand how visitors use our websites so we can make improvements and show content and advertising that are more relevant to you.

Cookies cannot harm your device, and we never use them to collect information that directly identifies you without your consent.

2. How we use cookies

We use four types of cookies on our websites:

  1. Strictly necessary cookies – essential for our site to work
  2. Preferences & features cookies – remember your choices and help us personalise your experience
  3. Analytics cookies – help us understand how our site is used
  4. Targeting & advertising cookies – help us show relevant content and measure our marketing

Some cookies are set by us, and others are set by trusted third-party partners whose services we use on our site.

You can change your cookie settings at any time by opening the Cookie Settings panel at the bottom of your screen.

3. Strictly necessary cookies

These cookies are essential for the website to function. Without them, basic features - like navigating between pages, placing items in your basket, staying logged into your account, or submitting forms - won’t work properly.

We use these cookies to:

  • Keep the site secure and running smoothly
  • Allow you to create and manage an account
  • Enable shopping features such as remembering your basket
  • Let you submit forms or contact us
  • Show pages and content in the correct format

Some third-party tools that help us run the website (such as performance monitoring or typography tools) also set strictly necessary cookies.

You can disable these in your browser settings, but the site may not work correctly if you do.

4. Preferences & features cookies

 These cookies remember choices you make so your experience feels more personalised and convenient.

For example, they may:

  • Remember your region or language
  • Save any changes you make to text size or display options
  • Keep track of site customisations during your visit
  • Allow you to share content to your social media accounts
  • Support features such as avatars, improved search suggestions or product recommendations
  • Help us test new features to make sure the site works well for you

If you turn these cookies off, the site will still work, but some features may not function as intended.

5. Analytics cookies

We use analytics cookies to understand how our websites are used so we can improve them for all visitors.

These cookies collect information such as:

  • How many people visit the site
  • Which pages are viewed most often
  • How long visitors spend on pages
  • Which browsers and devices are being used
  • How users interact with page elements and links

The data collected is aggregated and it does not identify you personally.

Analytics tools we use may include services from providers such as Google, Adobe, Hotjar, Shopify and others. These tools help us improve site performance and user experience.

6. Targeting and advertising cookies

These cookies help us show you advertising and content that are more relevant to your interests - both on our sites and elsewhere online.

They may:

  • Track what pages you visit across our websites
  • Show you ads for our books, products or partners based on your browsing
  • Help us measure whether an ad was useful (for example, if you clicked on an ad and later made a purchase)
  • Allow advertising partners such as Google, Facebook, Instagram and others to match your interests with ads you see on their platforms
  • Personalise marketing messages you see from us

If you turn these cookies off it should not prevent the website from working.

  7. Web beacons & tracking pixels

Some pages and emails we send contain small, invisible images called web beacons or pixels. These help us understand:

  • Whether emails we send are opened
  • Which pages or content are interacted with
  • Whether advertising shown to you was clicked on or led to further engagement
  • Whether visitors return to our site after seeing an ad elsewhere

These technologies work together with cookies. You can control their use by adjusting your cookie preferences in the Cookie Settings panel.

You are in control of your cookies.

Using our Cookie Settings panel

You can choose which types of cookies to accept or reject at any time. To change your settings, click the Cookie Settings tab at the bottom of your screen.

Using your browser

You can also block or delete cookies through your browser settings. If you disable Strictly Necessary Cookies through your browser, some parts of the site may not work.

For more information on managing cookies across different browsers, visit: www.allaboutcookies.org

9. Updates to this policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time - for example, if we add new features, integrate new partners, or update our technology. When we make significant changes, we will let you know on our website.

10. Contact us

If you have any questions about how we use cookies or how your data is handled, you can contact our Data Protection Team at ukdataprotection@penguinrandomhouse.co.uk.

Last updated 08 January 2026