1. Who We Are

City Wholefood Distributor (formerly Sydney City Organics) is a wholesale food distribution business supplying organic, biodynamic and conventional produce to retailers, restaurants, cafes, hospitality groups and community organisations across Sydney and surrounding areas.

2. What Personal Information We Collect

We collect the following categories of information:

a) Information you provide directly

• Account & checkout details: name, billing and shipping address, email address, phone number, business/ABN (where applicable), and account password.
• Order information: products purchased, order history, delivery preferences, and any notes provided with your order.
• Payment information: card details are processed directly by our payment provider (e.g. Mastercard, ANZ, Stripe, PayPal); we do not store full card numbers on our servers.
• Communications: any information you provide when contacting us via email, contact forms, phone, or live chat.

b) Information collected automatically

• Device & connection data: IP address, browser type, operating system, device identifiers, referring URL.
• Usage data: pages viewed, products browsed, items added to cart, time spent on site, and navigation paths.
• Cookies & similar technologies: session, preference, analytics, and (with consent) marketing cookies — see Section 7.

c) Information from third parties

• Payment gateways: transaction confirmations and fraud-screening results.
• Shipping carriers: delivery status updates.
• Analytics providers: aggregated usage statistics (e.g. Google Analytics).

3. How We Use Your Information

• Processing and fulfilling orders — taking payment, arranging delivery, sending order confirmations, invoices and shipping notifications.
• Managing your account — creating, maintaining and securing your CWFD account.
• Customer support — responding to enquiries, complaints, refund requests and warranty claims.
• Improving our website and services — analysing usage patterns, troubleshooting errors, testing new features.
• Marketing (with consent) — newsletters, promotions, seasonal product updates and wholesale offers. You may unsubscribe at any time.
• Fraud prevention and security — detecting suspicious activity and protecting our customers, staff and systems.
• Legal compliance — meeting tax, accounting, consumer law and other regulatory obligations.

We will not use your personal information for any purpose unrelated to those listed above without your consent.

4. Website Data Handling

When you visit or shop on our website, the following information is collected and retained as part of the normal operation of our online store:

Action	Data collected	Purpose	Retention
Browsing	IP address, user agent, cart contents	Cart functionality, fraud screening	Session / 30 days
Account creation	Name, email, hashed password, addresses	Login, future orders	Until account is deleted
Checkout	Billing & shipping details, payment confirmation	Order fulfilment, tax records	7 years (legal/tax)
Order completion	Order details, transaction ID	Customer support, accounting, dispute resolution	7 years (legal/tax)
Newsletter signup	Email address, consent timestamp	Marketing communications	Until you unsubscribe

5. Who We Share Your Information With

We do not sell, rent or trade your personal information. We share it only with the following categories of recipients, and only to the extent necessary:

• Payment processors — e.g. Mastercard, ANZ, Stripe, PayPal — to process your payment securely.
• Shipping & courier providers — to deliver your order and provide tracking.
• IT and hosting providers — our website host, backup providers and security services.
• Email and marketing platforms — for transactional and (with consent) marketing emails.
• Analytics providers — e.g. Google Analytics, in anonymised/aggregated form where possible.
• Professional advisors — accountants, auditors and lawyers, where strictly required.
• Government or regulatory bodies — where required by law, court order, or to protect our legal rights.
• Business successors — in the event of a sale, merger or restructure of CWFD, in which case any transfer will be subject to this Privacy Policy.

6. Data Storage, Security & International Transfers

Your personal information is stored on secure servers and protected using industry-standard measures including encryption in transit (HTTPS/TLS), restricted access controls, and regular security reviews.

Some service providers may store or process data outside Australia (e.g. United States, European Union). Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure those providers comply with the APPs or equivalent protections.

While we take reasonable steps to safeguard your information, no method of transmission or electronic storage is 100% secure. You share information with us at your own risk and should keep your account credentials confidential.

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to:

• Enable core website functionality (cart, login, checkout).
• Remember your preferences and improve your experience.
• Understand how visitors interact with our site (analytics).
• Deliver relevant marketing content (only where you consent).

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. Disabling essential cookies may affect site functionality, including checkout. Our site may use the following tools (subject to change): Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager / Ads, Meta (Facebook) Pixel, Cloudflare.

8. How Long We Keep Your Information

• Order, invoice and tax records: 7 years (Australian Tax Office requirement).
• Account information: until you request deletion of your account.
• Marketing data: until you unsubscribe or request deletion.
• Website analytics: generally 14–26 months in aggregated form.
• Support communications: up to 3 years after the matter is resolved.

Once retention is no longer required, we securely delete or de-identify the information.

9. Your Privacy Rights

Under the Australian Privacy Act and applicable laws, you have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you.
• Correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal retention obligations).
• Withdraw consent for marketing communications at any time.
• Object to or restrict certain processing of your data.
• Request a copy of your data in a portable format.
• Lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au.

To exercise any of these rights, email [email protected]. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe, typically within 30 days.

10. Marketing Communications

We will only send marketing communications (newsletters, special offers) if you have opted in. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link at the bottom of any marketing email, or by emailing [email protected]. Transactional emails (order confirmations, shipping updates, account notifications) are required for service delivery and cannot be opted out of.

11. Children's Privacy

Our website and services are not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can delete it.

12. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites and services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices, content or accuracy of those external sites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

13. Data Breach Notification

In the unlikely event of a data breach that is likely to result in serious harm, we will notify affected individuals and the OAIC in accordance with the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements or operational factors. The "Effective Date" at the top of this page will be updated whenever changes are made. We encourage you to review this page periodically. Material changes will be communicated by email (if you have an account) or through a prominent notice on our website.

15. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact:

If you are not satisfied with our response, you can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):

• 🌐 https://www.oaic.gov.au
• ☎ 1300 363 992