TL;DR
- Chrome kept third-party cookies in April 2025, but the tracking they enable is already broken across the web
- Safari and Firefox block third-party cookies by default and Apple's app tracking transparency gated mobile identifiers, so third-party targeting degrades regardless of Chrome
- First-party data (what customers do on your store) and zero-party data (what they tell you) are the durable replacement
- BCG and Google found brands using first-party data for core marketing saw up to 2.9x revenue and 1.5x cost savings
- Collect it through owned moments: accounts, quizzes, waitlists, drops, and post-purchase surveys, then act on it
Chrome keeping third-party cookies did not save third-party tracking. On April 22, 2025, Google confirmed it will not deprecate third-party cookies in Chrome and will not add a new opt-out prompt (Google). Merchants read that as a reprieve. It is not. The data that actually compounds in value is the data you collect yourself. Here is why the cookie reprieve changes nothing, and what to build instead.
Why the cookie reprieve is a trap
Third-party cookies survive in Chrome, but the tracking they power is already degraded everywhere else. Safari and Firefox block them by default, and Apple's app tracking transparency, live since iOS 14.5 in 2021, cut off the mobile identifiers that ad platforms relied on. A signal that only works in one browser, for users who never cleared a setting, is not a foundation. Building acquisition on it means renting a measurement system that keeps shrinking.
What is first-party data?
First-party data is information you collect directly from customers on your own store: what they browse, what they buy, how often they return, and which emails they open. You own it, you do not pay a platform to rent it, and privacy rules treat it as consented because the customer gave it to you in a direct relationship. It is the one dataset that gets richer every time someone shops.
First-party vs zero-party data
First-party data is observed. Zero-party data is declared. Zero-party data, a term from Forrester, is what a customer intentionally tells you: their size, their preferences, the occasion they are shopping for, and the products they want restocked. Observed data shows behavior; declared data explains intent. Together they let you personalize without guessing and without a single third-party cookie.
| Type | Source | Example |
|---|---|---|
| First-party | Observed on your store | Purchase history, browsing, email opens |
| Zero-party | Declared by the customer | Quiz answers, size, restock requests |
| Third-party | Bought from ad platforms | Cross-site cookies, now blocked in most browsers |
The revenue case for owning your data
Owned data pays. BCG and Google found that brands using first-party data for core marketing functions generated up to 2.9 times the revenue and 1.5 times the cost savings of those that did not (BCG). The reason is simple: you can personalize, segment, and re-engage without paying an ad auction for permission to reach people who already chose you.
How to collect it without being creepy
Collect data in moments where the customer gets something back. Each of these is an owned exchange, not a hidden tracker:
- Accounts and loyalty: give a reason to log in, and every session ties to a profile.
- Quizzes and preference centers: ask size, style, or restock interest, and let people pick what they hear about.
- Waitlists and drops: a signup for a limited release captures intent and an email in one step.
- Post-purchase surveys: one question after checkout tells you how they found you and why they bought.
How Heartly fits your first-party data strategy
A limited release is a data event as much as a sales one. A drop or flash sale on your own store gathers waitlist signups, purchase history, and declared interest at the moment demand is highest, then feeds the next campaign. The mechanics are in community drops as a zero-party data machine and drop marketing. Owning the data is one half of the profitability shift covered in the profitability era, and it starts on your own store rather than a marketplace, as argued in own store versus Amazon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Google kill third-party cookies?
No. On April 22, 2025, Google confirmed it will keep third-party cookies in Chrome and will not add a new opt-out prompt. But Safari and Firefox already block them by default, and Apple's app tracking transparency limits mobile tracking, so third-party targeting is degraded regardless of Chrome's decision.
What is the difference between first-party and zero-party data?
First-party data is observed behavior you collect on your own store, such as purchases and browsing. Zero-party data is information a customer intentionally shares, such as quiz answers, sizes, or restock requests. One shows what they do; the other explains what they want.
Is first-party data actually worth more?
Yes. BCG and Google found brands using first-party data for core marketing generated up to 2.9 times the revenue and 1.5 times the cost savings of those that did not. You own it, it needs no ad-platform permission, and it gets richer with every order.
How do I collect first-party data without hurting trust?
Collect it in exchanges where the customer gets value: accounts, loyalty programs, preference quizzes, waitlists, and post-purchase surveys. Each gives the shopper a reason to share and keeps the exchange transparent, unlike a hidden third-party tracker.
Where should I store and use this data?
Keep it in systems you control, tied to your store and email or SMS platform, so you can segment and re-engage directly. The goal is to act on it in owned channels rather than rent access to your own customers through ad platforms.
The cookie survived, but the strategy it supported did not. Build on data your customers give you directly, and you own an asset that compounds instead of one that keeps shrinking.