Abstract
This paper outlines the potential of Internet commerce to provide an additional marketing outlet to Florida fruit producers. Taking advantage of the Internet consumer market allows fruit producers access to its intended target audience of affluent gift givers on a much broader scale. The challenges facing online gift fruit vendors revolve around buyer convenience and buyer assurance. An in-depth review of 167 gift fruit-related web sites was completed to determine the current industry infrastructure and utilization of consumer-friendly attributes. Fourteen consumer-relevant parameters were quantified for each website, including such items as number of fresh and processed items carried, number of packaging options, number of payment and shipping options, site security, and customer privacy. These results are used as the basis for describing the Internet marketing essentials required for entrance and longevity in the online premium gift market.
