Privacy
Policy

Welcome to The Locals. The Locals is a UAE-based fashion marketplace connecting customers with local fashion brands across the region.

We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting the personal information you share with us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, retain, and protect information when you access our website, create an account, join a waitlist, apply as a brand, place an order, or otherwise use our platform.

By using The Locals, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy and agree that your information will be handled as described here.

We collect information that you provide directly to us, information generated through your use of the platform, and information needed to operate a curated ecommerce marketplace.

When you use our platform, we may automatically collect technical and usage information, including device information, browser type, operating system, IP address, referral URLs, pages visited, session activity, cookies, analytics data, and performance monitoring data.

This information helps us secure the platform, understand how customers and brands use The Locals, improve performance, and diagnose technical issues.

We use personal information to operate, protect, and improve The Locals, including to create accounts, authenticate users, process orders, process payments, deliver products, coordinate courier pickup and delivery, manage brand applications, communicate updates, provide customer support, improve the platform, detect fraud, enforce platform policies, comply with legal obligations, and send marketing communications where permitted.

We may also use aggregated or de-identified information to understand marketplace performance, customer demand, brand activity, and operational trends.

Payment processing may be handled by trusted third-party payment providers, including payment infrastructure providers such as Stripe or similar services.

The Locals does not directly store full payment card details. Payment providers process payment information according to their own security and privacy standards, and their services may be subject to separate terms and privacy policies.

The Locals uses a pickup-on-demand fulfilment model. Brands keep their own stock, and when an order is placed, we coordinate pickup from the relevant brand and delivery to the customer.

To complete an order, we may share necessary information with approved brands, courier partners, fulfilment providers, and operational service providers. This sharing is limited to information reasonably required to process, prepare, pick up, deliver, track, support, or resolve issues with an order.

When customers purchase products from a brand on The Locals, relevant order information may be shared with that brand so the brand can prepare and fulfil the order.

This may include customer name, delivery details, order contents, selected product options, fulfilment instructions, and information required to complete the order or respond to related support requests.

You may receive service and transactional communications such as order confirmations, account emails, security notifications, waitlist updates, product updates, support messages, and fulfilment notices.

Where permitted, we may also send promotional emails or marketplace updates. You can unsubscribe from marketing communications at any time by using the unsubscribe option where available or by contacting us. Even if you opt out of marketing, we may still send transactional or service-related communications.

We use cookies and similar technologies for essential site operation, authentication, shopping cart functionality, preference storage, analytics, security, and performance monitoring.

Some cookies are necessary for the platform to work correctly. Disabling cookies or blocking similar technologies may affect account access, cart behavior, checkout, saved preferences, and other core functionality.

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect personal information, including encryption where appropriate, secure authentication systems, access controls, monitoring, and other protection measures designed to reduce unauthorized access, loss, misuse, or disclosure.

No system can guarantee absolute security. You are responsible for keeping your login credentials confidential and for notifying us if you believe your account or information may have been compromised.

We retain personal information only as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, including providing services, managing accounts and orders, meeting legal and accounting obligations, preventing fraud, resolving disputes, enforcing agreements, and maintaining accurate business records.

Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information, the nature of your relationship with The Locals, legal requirements, and operational needs.

Depending on applicable law and your relationship with The Locals, you may request access to personal information we hold about you, request corrections, request deletion where legally permitted, update account information, or withdraw marketing consent.

To make a privacy request, contact us at hello@thelocals.ae. We may need to verify your identity before responding, and some requests may be limited by legal, security, accounting, fraud-prevention, or dispute-resolution requirements.

The Locals is based in the UAE, but our service providers, technology vendors, payment providers, email providers, analytics providers, or operational partners may process or store information in countries outside your country of residence.

Where information is transferred internationally, we take reasonable steps designed to ensure that personal information remains protected in line with applicable requirements and this Privacy Policy.

The Locals is not intended for children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18.

If you believe a child has provided personal information to us, please contact us so we can review the matter and take appropriate action.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our platform, operations, legal requirements, or privacy practices.

The updated version will be published on this website with a revised "Last updated" date. Your continued use of The Locals after an update means you acknowledge the updated Privacy Policy.

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how The Locals handles personal information, please contact us using the details below.