Independent booksellers may be getting into the e-book market a little late, but a study conducted by Verso Digital and Digital Book World found that consumers are willing to buy e-books from indies. According to the report, nearly 81% of book buyers said they would buy an e-book from an independent bookstore if the titles are competitively priced.
The survey also that the library remains an important source of books for readers, with 45% saying they borrow books from libraries, the largest single channel for getting a book. Nearly 36% of readers say they borrow books from friends and coworkers. For the second year in a row, the survey found that readers think they buy many more books from independent stores than they actually do. Thirty-two percent of readers said they buy books from independents, though other studies have put indies' market share at about 7%. “As in last year’s study, independent booksellers enjoy a slight mindshare advantage over their brick-and-mortar competitors,” says Guy LeCharles Gonzalez, director of programming for Digital Book World. “This year’s study found that, while the preference to shop with indies is greater with men and the college-educated, it’s much less so with women and those having higher household incomes.” Gonzalez, along with Jack McKeown, director business development at Verso Digital, will present the findings of the study at a panel at next week’s Digital Book World. The study found the chains with a 32 share of the book market and online retailers a 29% share.
A look at where e-books are bought found no surprises—Kindle held a 28% market share followed by 15% for Barnes & Noble’s Nook. Libraries accounted for just under 15% of e-book usage.
For more information on the session visit, http://dbw2011.digitalbookworld.com/research-presentations.
