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                                                                     EXHIBIT 5.1

                             Greenberg Traurig, P.A.
                              1221 Brickell Avenue
                              Miami, Florida 33131
                                                              September 28, 2001


E Com Ventures, Inc.
11701 N.W. 101st Road
Miami, FL  33178

         Re:      Registration Statement on Form S-8 for E Com Ventures, Inc.
                  2000 Stock Option Plan and 2000 Directors Stock Option Plan

Ladies and Gentlemen:

         On the date hereof, E Com Ventures, Inc., a Florida corporation (the
"Company"), transmitted for filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the "Commission") a Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the "Registration
Statement"), under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"). The
Registration Statement relates to the issuance, offering and/or sale by the
Company of up to an aggregate of 1,620,000 shares (the "Shares") of the
Company's Common Stock, par value $.01 per share (the "Common Stock"), which may
be issued pursuant to stock options, (collectively, "Options") granted or to be
granted under the Company's 2000 Stock Option Plan (as to 1,500,000 of the
Shares) (the "Option Plan") and the 2000 Directors Stock Option Plan (as to
120,000 of the Shares)(the "Directors Plan" and together with the Option Plan
hereinafter referred to as the "Plans"). We have acted as special counsel to the
Company in connection with the preparation and filing of the Registration
Statement.

         In connection therewith, we have examined and relied upon the original
or a copy, certified to our satisfaction, of (i) the Articles of Incorporation,
as amended and Bylaws, as amended of the Company; (ii) records of corporate
proceedings of the Company authorizing the Plans and related matters; (iii) the
Registration Statement and exhibits thereto; and (iv) such other documents and
instruments as we have deemed necessary for the expression of the opinions
herein contained. In making the foregoing examinations, we have assumed the
genuineness of all signatures and the authenticity of all documents submitted to
us as originals, and the conformity to original documents of all documents
submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies. As to various questions of
fact material to this opinion, we have relied, to the extent we deem reasonably
appropriate, upon representations or certificates of officers or directors of
the Company and upon documents, records and instruments furnished to us by the
Company, without independently checking or verifying the accuracy of such
documents, records and instruments.

         Based upon the foregoing examination, we are of the opinion that the
Company presently has available at least 1,620,000 shares of authorized and
unissued Common Stock from which the 1,620,000 shares of Common Stock may be
issued pursuant to Options granted under the Plans. In addition, assuming that
the Company maintains an adequate number of authorized but

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unissued shares of Common Stock available for issuance pursuant to Options, and
assuming that the Company's consideration for shares issued pursuant to Options
is actually received by the Company in accordance with the Plans and Section
607.0621 of the Florida Business Corporation Act, we are of the opinion that the
shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to the Options granted under and in
accordance with the terms of the Plans will be duly and validly issued, fully
paid and nonassessable.

         We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not admit that we come
within the category of persons whose consent is required by Section 7 of the Act
or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

                                   Sincerely,


                                   /s/ GREENBERG TRAURIG, P.A.