Consumers’ perception and acceptance of fresh agriculture product purchased through e-business

Agriculture e-business can be viewed as trading models of buying and selling of agriculture produce through electronic means. e-Business has the potential to reduce transaction costs, improve market access, and information content of products. Generally, e-business is easy to use, and a cost-efficient system for consumers and firms. Malaysia can be considered to be at an early stage of development in online shopping, specifically in agriculture produce. Limited study has been undertaken in understanding consumers’ behaviour and perception towards online shopping. Thus, this study was carried out to examine consumer perception and acceptance of e-business for agriculture produce in Malaysia. Results from the analysis found that most buyers are adult female users aged between 20 and 49 years, with a monthly income of RM1,001 to RM3,000. This group is more open to the idea of shopping for fresh produce online, and are more IT savvy. Most Malaysian users prefer to use online banking services rather than debit and credit cards. Meat and meat preparation, vegetables, and eggs are the top-most products consumed by internet users. The minimum amount spent is RM 50 and the maximum amount spent is RM500 per transaction. Bearing in mind that fresh agriculture produce is easily perishable and has a short shelf life, reliable transportation and logistics services are needed. The study also revealed that there is no significant relationship between female and male users in the level of satisfaction. It indicates that both users have an equal perception of all aspects of satisfaction. Furthermore, the study also shows a significant difference in gender preference whereby females prefer to purchase online when compared with their male counterparts. Overall, online shopping has the potential of becoming an alternative shopping channel in the future. Indirectly, it may also change Malaysian shopping trend from the conventional system to online retailing system.