Privacy Policy

Below is a UK-focused privacy policy tailored to Ara Eco Design as a sole-trader sourcing business. Replace the bracketed contact details before publishing. The ICO requires privacy notices to explain what data is collected, why it is used, the lawful basis, sharing, retention, international transfers and individual rights. ICO guidance

Privacy Policy

Last updated: 26 August 2026

1. About Ara Eco Design

Ara Eco Design is a UK-based sole-trader business operated by Amber Choudhury-Kaye.

Ara Eco Design provides design and sourcing services, connecting retailers, hospitality businesses and other commercial clients with handcrafted, slow-made and responsibly sourced products.

For the purposes of UK data-protection law, Amber Choudhury-Kaye, trading as Ara Eco Design, is the data controller responsible for your personal information.

Contact details

Ara Eco Design
Amber Choudhury-Kaye
Email: hello@araecodesign.com
Website: www.araecodesign.com

2. Scope of this policy

This policy explains how Ara Eco Design collects, uses, stores and protects personal information when you:

  • visit this website;
  • contact Ara Eco Design;
  • request information, samples, quotations or sourcing services;
  • place an order or enter into a business relationship;
  • subscribe to marketing communications;
  • work with Ara Eco Design as a buyer, retailer, hotel, supplier, artisan, consultant or other business contact; or
  • otherwise provide personal information to the business.

3. Personal information we may collect

Depending on how you interact with Ara Eco Design, we may collect:

  • your name, job title and organisation;
  • your business or personal email address;
  • your telephone number;
  • your billing, delivery or business address;
  • enquiry and correspondence records;
  • information about your product, sourcing or design requirements;
  • quotation, order, invoice and payment information;
  • details relating to samples, deliveries and transactions;
  • information about suppliers, artisans, production partners and commercial contacts;
  • marketing preferences;
  • feedback, testimonials or survey responses;
  • website information, including your IP address, browser type, device information and pages visited; and
  • any other information that you voluntarily provide.

Please do not provide sensitive personal information unless it is necessary and has been specifically requested.

Ara Eco Design does not normally collect or retain complete payment-card details. Payments may be processed by a bank or secure third-party payment provider, which will process your information under its own privacy policy.

4. How we obtain your information

We may receive personal information:

  • directly from you through the website, email, telephone, meetings or events;
  • when you request a quotation, place an order or enter into a contract;
  • through introductions, referrals and professional networking;
  • from your employer or organisation;
  • from suppliers, artisans, agents or other commercial partners;
  • from publicly available business sources, such as company websites, trade directories and professional networking platforms; and
  • automatically through cookies and similar website technologies.

When information has not been obtained directly from you, we will only use it where we have a lawful reason to do so.

5. How and why we use personal information

We may use your information to:

  • respond to enquiries and communicate with you;
  • understand your sourcing, product or design requirements;
  • prepare proposals, quotations and product presentations;
  • source, develop and supply products;
  • manage samples, orders, payments and deliveries;
  • communicate with retailers, hospitality businesses, suppliers, artisans and production partners;
  • conduct appropriate supplier or product checks;
  • administer contracts and business relationships;
  • maintain financial, tax and business records;
  • improve our website, services and customer experience;
  • protect the security of the website and business;
  • establish, exercise or defend legal rights;
  • prevent fraud or misuse;
  • send marketing communications where permitted; and
  • comply with legal and regulatory responsibilities.

We will not use your information for an unrelated purpose unless the law permits or requires us to do so. Where necessary, we will explain the new purpose and its lawful basis.

6. Our lawful bases

Under UK data-protection law, we must have a lawful basis for using personal information. Depending on the circumstances, we rely on:

Contract

We use information when it is necessary to provide requested services, fulfil an order or contract, or take steps at your request before entering into a contract.

Legal obligation

We use information when necessary to comply with legal duties, including accounting, taxation and record-keeping requirements.

Legitimate interests

We may use information where it is necessary for the legitimate interests of operating and developing Ara Eco Design. These interests include:

  • responding to business enquiries;
  • managing relationships with clients, buyers, suppliers and artisans;
  • sourcing and developing products;
  • maintaining appropriate commercial records;
  • protecting the business and website;
  • preventing fraud; and
  • promoting relevant business services to professional contacts where legally permitted.

Before relying on legitimate interests, we consider whether the proposed use is necessary and balanced against your rights, interests and reasonable expectations.

Consent

We rely on consent where you have freely agreed to a particular use of your information—for example, certain email marketing or non-essential website cookies.

You may withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us or using the unsubscribe facility provided.

7. Marketing communications

Ara Eco Design may send information about products, collections, sourcing services, events or business developments where:

  • you have given your consent;
  • the communication is otherwise permitted by law; or
  • there is an appropriate legitimate interest in contacting you in a professional capacity.

You can unsubscribe at any time by:

  • selecting the unsubscribe link in a marketing email; or
  • contacting us at [business email address].

You have an absolute right to object to the use of your personal information for direct marketing.

We will not sell your personal information to another organisation for its own marketing.

8. Sharing personal information

Where necessary, we may share relevant information with:

  • artisans, manufacturers, suppliers and production partners;
  • couriers, freight providers and logistics companies;
  • payment providers, banks and accountants;
  • website hosting, email, cloud-storage and IT providers;
  • professional advisers, including legal and insurance advisers;
  • marketing or website-service providers;
  • regulatory authorities, law-enforcement bodies or public authorities where legally required;
  • prospective purchasers or advisers if the business or its assets are reorganised, transferred or sold; and
  • other parties where you have authorised the disclosure.

We only disclose information that is reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose. Service providers acting on our behalf are expected to protect the information and use it only in accordance with our instructions and applicable law.

9. International transfers

Ara Eco Design works with artisans, suppliers and commercial partners in countries outside the United Kingdom, including countries in South Asia. Some website, email, cloud or technology providers may also process information outside the UK.

Where personal information is transferred internationally, Ara Eco Design will take reasonable steps to ensure that an appropriate safeguard or lawful transfer mechanism is used. Depending on the circumstances, this may include:

  • transferring information to a country covered by UK adequacy regulations;
  • using an appropriate contractual safeguard, such as the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or UK Addendum; or
  • relying on another permitted legal exception where appropriate.

You may contact us for further information about the safeguards relevant to your information.

10. Data retention

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, tax and dispute-resolution requirements.

As a general guide:

  • routine enquiries that do not lead to a business relationship may be retained for up to two years after the last communication;
  • client, supplier, order, contract, invoice and transaction records may normally be retained for up to six years after the relationship or transaction ends;
  • marketing information may be retained until you unsubscribe, withdraw consent or the information is no longer required;
  • website security records may be retained for a shorter period unless needed to investigate an incident; and
  • information connected with a dispute or legal claim may be retained until the matter and any relevant limitation period have ended.

Information may be deleted earlier where it is no longer required. In some circumstances, it may need to be retained for longer to comply with the law or protect legal rights.

11. Cookies and website technologies

The Ara Eco Design website may use cookies and similar technologies to:

  • operate essential website functions;
  • maintain security;
  • remember user preferences;
  • understand website performance and visitor activity; and
  • support embedded content or marketing features.

Strictly necessary cookies may operate without consent. Non-essential cookies, including analytics or advertising cookies, will only be used after appropriate consent has been obtained.

You can manage your choices through the website’s cookie banner and your browser settings. Please refer to the Ara Eco Design Cookie Policy for more detailed information about the cookies in use.

12. Data security

Ara Eco Design takes reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against:

  • unauthorised access;
  • accidental loss;
  • misuse;
  • alteration;
  • disclosure; and
  • destruction.

Access to personal information is restricted to people and service providers who reasonably need it for legitimate business purposes.

Although appropriate precautions are taken, no internet transmission or electronic-storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

13. Your data-protection rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:

  • be informed about how your information is used;
  • request access to your personal information;
  • ask for inaccurate or incomplete information to be corrected;
  • ask for your information to be erased;
  • ask us to restrict how your information is used;
  • object to certain uses of your information;
  • receive certain information in a portable format;
  • withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent; and
  • complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office.

These rights are not absolute and may be subject to legal conditions or exceptions.

To exercise a right, contact us at [business email address]. We may need to request information to confirm your identity. We will normally respond within one month.

You will not ordinarily be charged for making a request. However, the law allows a reasonable fee or refusal in certain circumstances, including where a request is manifestly unfounded or excessive.

14. Automated decisions

Ara Eco Design does not currently use personal information to make decisions based solely on automated processing that produce legal or similarly significant effects.

15. Children’s information

The Ara Eco Design website and sourcing services are intended for businesses and adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

If you believe that a child has provided personal information through the website, please contact us so that the matter can be reviewed and the information deleted where appropriate.

16. Third-party websites

This website may contain links to websites operated by other organisations. Ara Eco Design is not responsible for their privacy practices or content.

You should read the privacy policy of any external website you visit.

17. Complaints

Please contact Ara Eco Design first if you have a concern about how your personal information has been handled. We will make reasonable efforts to investigate and resolve the matter.

You also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office:

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Website: www.ico.org.uk

18. Changes to this policy

We may update this privacy policy when our services, website practices or legal responsibilities change.

The latest version will be published on this website with its effective date. Where a change significantly affects how we use personal information, we will take reasonable steps to bring it to the attention of those affected.

Before publishing, add your business email, correspondence address and telephone number. You should also confirm which website platform, analytics system, contact form, email-marketing service and payment provider you use so the cookie and data-sharing sections precisely match the website. Non-essential cookies require prior user consent. ICO cookie guidance