Retailers are planning to invest in their websites over the next year, according to new research from Adobe Scene 7. The report found that iPhone and iPad apps were high up the wanted list, while social networking investment was also key.

Kiddicare has moved its affiliate marketing activity to Affiliate Window as it looks to grow its marketing activity with relevant publishers.

The UK’s small retailers can now use iContact’s flagship email and social marketing tool at no cost. The launch of iContact Free Edition comes as the company opens its London office.

Technology companies are being challenged to solve a 21st century retail problem. RichRelevance and Overstock.com have launched the $1m RecLab Prize, on offer to the non-commercial team of researchers that comes up with an answer to the problem of making the best online product recommendations.

Demandware says retailers will benefit from an easy-to-use system and a richer shopping experience through its new Facebook Shop application.

Best Buy has used text analytics software from Clarabridge to learn from and respond to what customers are saying about it. Clarabridge has just launched its UK operation, in West London.

Retailers have been granted a period of grace to comply with new European laws on cookies that come into force today – but have also been reminded they must use the time well.

Digital media helped to drive a rise in revenues and profits at luxury brand Burberry, the company said this week. Turnover was up by 27% while pretax profits grew by 39%.

Is acting as a shopping channel a step too far for Facebook? Stefan Schmidt, director of product strategy at hybris, considers.

Whatser, the location-based app that is helping small local businesses use mobile, location and social media to organically grow their customer base, has launched a new tool that allows brands to host a ‘collection’ of favorite spots on their platform – and Bugaboo has become the first brand to use it

Expansion in areas such as grocery, clothing and sports at Amazon.co.uk means demand for more customer service, to be provided at a new contact centre in Edinburgh.

Affiliate marketing network LinkShare says growth in its retail and travel sector clientele helped it to a 34% expansion in the first quarter of the financial year.

Investment in multichannel, from ecommerce to better performing stores, is the route to future growth for JJB Sports, the loss-making retailer said as it announced full-year results.

The UK’s online retail market has now taken £300bn in sales, the IMRG has said. Top-performing sectors over the last 11 years have been clothing, electricals and wine, beer and spirits.

An online marketplace that aims to connect shoppers with their local craftspeople and independent shops has launched today. Frooly is also pioneering the use of social media to rate and recommend individual stores.

M&S Direct sales have grown by more than 30% as the company focuses on growth through multichannel sales. Chief executive Marc Bolland says it has made ‘good early progress’.

Tesco has joined Amazon UK and Argos in the annual list of leading online retailers. The highest new entry in the IMRG Experian Hitwise Hot Shops list was the London 2012 ticket site.

The value of what the customer says was underlined as customer marketing specialist dunnhumby announced its acquisition of word-of-mouth specialist BzzAgent. The customer is now as important as the marketing gurus used to be, according to dunnhumby chief executive Simon Hay.

Online contact lens seller GetLenses is selling in Italy, and says it is well-placed to serve new markets as part of a wider push into Europe.

Nectar, the UK loyalty card scheme, has launched an extensive online fashion site giving Nectar cardholders the chance to buy clothes and accessories from more than 50 high street brands, and clock up points while they shop. A search facility on the site allows shoppers to search across 500,000 items from fashion retailers including House of Fraser, Urban Outfitters, Kurt Geiger, Boden, Next and New Look.