eBooks: BISG Releases Study Showing Correlation Between Genre Preference and Device Selection
Highlights from a new Book Industry Study Group (BISG) Study:
Multi-function tablets have become consumers’ preferred e-reading devices, overtaking dedicated e-readers for the first time, according to the Book Industry Study Group (BISG)’s closely watched Consumer Attitudes Toward E-Book Reading survey, an ongoing study powered by Bowker Market Research.
Results from the first installment in Volume Four of the survey show 44 percent of e-book readers prefer a tablet, up from 37 percent in the August 2012 survey. During the same period, respondents’ choice of a dedicated e-reader fell from 49 percent to 42 percent. The study suggests the trend will continue as respondents’ intent to purchase a dedicated e-reader has dropped, while intent to purchase has remained consistent for tablets, at about 37 percent.
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The study also shows the consistent upward swing in preference for e-books over print. About 82 percent of Power Buyers (consumers who acquire e-books on a weekly basis) say they prefer e-books over print and nearly 70 percent of Non-Power Buyers say they now prefer e- over print.
“In the five years that Bowker has been involved with BISG’s Consumer Attitudesstudy, we’ve seen e-reading of key fiction genres become mainstream,” said Jo Henry, Director of Bowker Market Research. “As consumers turn from dedicated e-reading devices to tablets, the study will continue to monitor the impact on genres, physical book acquisition, and retailers, and track the evolution of the all-important Power Buyer.”
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About Gary Price
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.