Bowker Study: eBooks Continue Robust Expansion While Paper Editions Continue Decline

PW:

With holiday shopping in full swing comes more evidence that e-book sales should enjoy a big bump over the next few weeks. According to an analysis of consumer book-buying behavior conducted by Bowker's PubTrack Consumer service, 20% of readers reported in October that they are likely to buy an e-reader compared to just 10% in the 2009 holiday season. Moreover, just over 10% of readers in September and October said they read e-books on a daily or weekly basis compared to only about 3% a year ago. That combination, the report says, indicates that a spike in e-book purchases could be coming soon. ...

The data also show that e-book readers are becoming increasingly loyal to the format. Comparing e-book buyers' book purchases, 64% bought e-books in the third quarter of 2010, up from 56.6% in the comparable period in 2009. The decline in e-book buyers in purchasing other formats, not surprisingly, mirrored that of the overall market, with meaningful declines of hardcover and mass market paperbacks ...