The use of the Internet as a critical success factor for the marketing of Welsh agri‐food SMEs in the twenty‐first century

A major challenge facing Celtic Fringe agri‐food SMEs (in countries and regions of “Celtic” origin such as Wales, Ireland and Brittany) is how to sustain growth in a global market: a market that is being expanded via e‐commerce through the Internet to an international audience. This paper reports on a two‐stage survey undertaken by the Welsh Enterprise Institute initially involving a short questionnaire that measures current Welsh agri‐food SME usage of e‐commerce and promotion via the Internet. A selected follow up of respondents was undertaken utilising a more in‐depth questionnaire study of the management implications and critical success factors of those enterprises using the Internet. The paper concludes by arguing the need for appropriate support to be provided for Celtic Fringe, and specifically Welsh, agri‐food SMEs to make them aware of the importance of the adoption of e‐commerce as a critical success factor for their marketing in the twenty‐first century.