6.5 Million E-Reader Owners in the UK - Publishing Perspectives

By Hannah Johnson

A study by Book Marketing Limited (BML) presented by Jo Henry shows that the number of adults in the UK with e-readers doubled over the holiday period — from 7% to 13%, according to the Bookseller.

The study was conducted from December 25, 2010 (Christmas Day) through January 31, 2011.

The Kindle is the most popular reading device, followed by the Sony Reader. Mobile reading is also becoming more popular, with 19% of e-book buyers reading digital content on their iPhones.

More e-readers can only mean a rise in e-book sales. The study revealed that 61% of people who received an e-reader over the holiday period purchased at least one e-book. It was also suggested that up to 10 million e-books have been sold in the UK since the holiday period began, while print books sold 18.6 million copies in the same time period.

This study was presented at Here and Now – The Digital and eBook Market 2011, a digital seminar organized by the Publishers Association in the UK.

Book Marketing Limited is a research company for the book industry and was purchased by Bowker in 2010.

About the Author

Hannah Johnson

Hannah Johnson is the publisher of international book industry magazine Publishing Perspectives, which provides daily information and news about book markets around the world. In addition to building partnerships with international cultural and trade organizations, she works with the Frankfurt Book Fair to organize and support a number of its overseas initiatives. Hannah has also worked as the managing editor for an online media company, The Hooch Life, focused on craft distillers and cocktail experts. Prior to that, she worked as a project manager for the Frankfurt Book Fair’s New York office, managing various business and marketing activities.