TL;DR – Privacy-First eCommerce: First-Party Data Strategies for 2025

🍪 Third-party cookies are disappearing—marketers need new ways to personalise and target.
📬 First-party data (like email, purchase history, and behaviour) is now the most valuable asset.
🔐 Consent matters—transparency and user trust are key to good data collection.
📊 Tools like Klaviyo, Triple Whale, and Shopify Audiences make data actionable and privacy-safe.
📈 Brands that adapt now will be better positioned as privacy regulations tighten globally.

Third-party cookies are going away. Now what?

Google Chrome will phase out third-party cookies entirely by late 2025. Safari and Firefox already did. That means the old playbook—tracking users across the web and retargeting with ads—is about to be obsolete. The future is all about first-party data and respectful, trust-based marketing.

1. First-Party Data Is the New Engine of Growth

First-party data is information you collect directly from your customers: email, SMS opt-ins, purchase history, product views, quiz responses, and on-site behaviours. It’s permission-based, accurate, and now the foundation for personalised marketing.

If it’s not in your control, it’s not sustainable.

2. Ask First, Then Deliver Real Value

People are more willing than ever to share their info—if there’s a clear benefit. Offer something meaningful: early access, exclusive products, loyalty perks, or faster checkout in exchange for that opt-in.

3. Use Data to Personalise (Without Being Creepy)

Once you’ve collected data, put it to use: segment your emails by order size or product category. Recommend products based on previous views. Use replenishment reminders. The key is relevance, not surveillance.

4. Use Tools That Respect Privacy by Design

Tools like Klaviyo, Shopify Audiences, Postscript, and even GA4 are now designed with privacy in mind. They work with anonymised data, consent-based tracking, and API-powered segmentation—so you can stay compliant and effective.

5. Prep Now for What’s Coming

Australia, the EU, and many US states are tightening privacy laws. Brands that adapt their data strategies now—building trust and transparency into every interaction—won’t be scrambling later.

Where to Start

Audit your data sources. Add value-led email/SMS capture points across your store. Review cookie banners and consent flows. Then, pick one tool to begin building smarter segments with your data.

If you treat data like a relationship—not a shortcut—you’ll be ahead of 90% of brands this year.

Need help building a privacy-first growth strategy?
Prosper Digital helps Shopify brands future-proof their data approach with compliant, high-performance marketing stacks. Talk to us today