Adding an extra Facebook fan boosts retail website visits, a study by Experian Hitwise has found. Publication came as the company launched its new Fan Acquisition and Analysis service.

It’s who you know and what they think that’s more likely to influence shopping choices than what the retailer tells you. That’s one finding of a new study commissioned by social commerce company Reevoo, which looks at just how shoppers decide to make a purchase.

Online grocery shopping remains a niche area despite the popularity of internet retailing in the UK, says a team from Kingston University, which argues that supermarkets must think of imaginative ways to encourage shoppers to keep shopping online.

The first keynote speakers have been unveiled for the sixth annual Internet Retailing Conference, to be held on October 4 2011 in London.

Fashion brand Anthropologie has opted for 10CMS content management technology to cut the costs of using rich media on its European website.

Ann Summers is getting personal. Visitors to the sex toys and lingerie website will see personalised recommendations, thanks to the retailer’s use of RichRelevance technology.

Online retailers are expected to spend 14% more on ecommerce-related technology this year than last as they invest to deliver customers’ expectations of joined-up channels, mobile and social commerce.

An upgrade to its technology means that payment processor Retail Decisions can now process transactions in virtually any language in the world. This is significant for its trade in the Far East, where it will now be able to make Chinese, Japanese and Korean available as payment options for the first time.

Topshop leads the way in F-commerce according to the new Channel Advisor Facebook UK Commerce Index. The brand has nearly 50% more fans than its nearest rival.

Internet shoppers bucked the high street trend of declining sales by spending more online in May than they did a year ago, according to figures from both the ONS and the IMRG. Multichannel companies, clothes and alcohol retailers were among the chief beneficiaries online.

eModeration manages brands and their reputation in the world of social commerce, handling 100 live projects at any time for global brands including Smirnoff and The LEGO Group. Internet Retailing editor-in-chief Ian Jindal asked its chief executive Tamara Littleton to give a ‘poacher’s view’ and characterise the differences between social media channels.

Net-a-Porter has come up with a new way of engaging its customers – by showing them a live feed of who’s buying what, where. Net-a-Porter Live went live today.

Video game retailer Game said its sales were down in the first 19 weeks of its financial year but that its strategy to develop its multichannel business was showing early results.

A multichannel initiative from Sainsbury’s to help consumers save money on food bills saw 1m website hits and delivered a 20% lift to the products featured. Overall, however, the supermarket said first quarter like-for-like sales were up by a modest 1.9%, excluding fuel, with online sales up by more than 20%.

Best Buy UK co-owner Carphone Warehouse says it is considering its next steps for its multichannel business after losses at the consumer electronics chain widened sharply during the year.

Marks & Spencer has launched a Facebook store to tie in with this Sunday’s Father’s Day. The retailer has more than 300,000 Facebook fans and the new store allows shoppers to view products before clicking through to the M&S site to checkout.

Former Tesco boss Sir Terry Leahy has taken a 10% stake in ecommerce delivery management specialist MetaPack alongside other investors. The company says it will use the money to speed up its international development.

IMRG has announced that its eCommerce Awards for Excellence 2011 are now open. Retailers and other e-businesses have until July 22 to put themselves forward for the 16 different titles.

Online marketplace Notonthehighstreet.com has claimed a UK first with the launch of group gifting. The new social commerce tool allows friends and family to contribute to gifts.

The taste for impulse-buying has not diminished, despite the age of austerity. But shoppers are more likely to make an unplanned purchase if it’s a bargain. Online, however, they’re becoming less likely to act on impulse.