Great Holiday Expectations for E-Readers

[DonaldL.]

Great Holiday Expectations for E-Readers

“This is the tipping-point season for e-readers, there’s no question,” said Peter Hildick-Smith, president of the Codex Group, a book market research company. “A lot more books are going to be sold in e-book format. It also means that a lot fewer people are going to be shopping in bookstores.”

Only a small slice of the book-buying public has bought an e-reader. About nine million devices are in circulation in the United States, according to Forrester Research.

That could jump in the coming weeks as consumers begin their holiday shopping, analysts predict. According to Forrester, at least 10.3 million e-readers could be in circulation by the end of the year.

And many of them will be bought for other people. Research from Simba Information, which provides data and advice to publishers, has shown that 1 in 5 of those who own a Kindle, Amazon’s dedicated e-reader, received it as a gift.

In a recent Consumer Reports poll, 10 percent of the adults surveyed said they planned to give an e-reader as a gift this year, up from 4 percent in 2009.

That has corresponded with an increase in e-book sales. Two years ago, publishers said that sales of e-books constituted 1 percent of total book sales, but the figure is now closer to 9 or 10 percent.

[HamsterRage]

With the recent drop in ereader prices, I'd be shocked if only 1.3 million were sold this Christmas.

[leebase]

How can any of us be shocked as we have NO real numbers to compare with. Amazon never has told us how many kindles they actually sell.

Lee

[HamsterRage]

I was basing my shockedness on the numbers in the article, which stated 9 million units out on the street right now. That's 3 years worth of sales*, and the sub $200 products didn't even exist in the US market until June of this year.

*[Before I get flamed... Yes, I know that there have been ereaders for sale for virtually hundreds, if not even thousands of years - not just 3 years. However, the Kindle went on sale in 2007, and I'm guessing that the total number ereaders sold annually prior to that is fairly small, perhaps even insignificant, compared to the number that have been sold since then.]

[M0zza]

HamsterRage, I'd edit your post mate. You seem to be under the impression it is the year 2000

[mikaelalind]

I read an article in a swedish article, that speculated that e-readers would become the Christmas gift of the year. Considering that Swedish is a small market, I doubt that will happen. But, I will report back November 25th, when the announcement is made .

[abookreader]

Seems like it -- the Moms at my kids school really did a run on those $99 nooks and I know lots of kids who will be getting the gift of eReading in their stockings, whether they want it or not. I spent a considerable amount of time the past couple of days showing people how to use their new digital readers.

I think the $100 price point is a real psychological barrier.

On the other hand, I fear for our Overdrive waitlist times.

[Richey79]

The display of Sonys in my local Waterstones (UK) is still pretty pathetic. A collection of half-a-dozen rather bashed boxes in an ill-lit locked glass cabinet, with an unexciting-looking collection of leaflets half hidden from view.

I think that the only buyers such stores are likely to attract are those who already know all about the product and have researched exactly which one they want to buy.

Can ereaders really gather mass-momentum when they seem like an almost purely online phenomenon at the moment in the UK?

[HamsterRage]

Originally Posted by M0zza

HamsterRage, I'd edit your post mate. You seem to be under the impression it is the year 2000

Grrrr. Fixed.

[paola]

Originally Posted by Richey79

The display of Sonys in my local Waterstones (UK) is still pretty pathetic. A collection of half-a-dozen rather bashed boxes in an ill-lit locked glass cabinet, with an unexciting-looking collection of leaflets half hidden from view.

similar story in large Waterstones in trafalgar square - very uninformative leaflets (e.g. they do not specify which formats are supported), three ereaders on display to try, but with no power! After a lot of prompting, managed to get one on with an emergency supply cable. I wouldn't be happy if I worked in Sony's marketing department...

[Kumabjorn]

Wouldn't it be nice if you could buy e-books for other people's E-readers and have them delivered at the exact time your loved one is supposed to open their Christmas present?

[HamsterRage]

I was thinking the other day that all this "eStuff", and "iStuff" has just about ruined stocking stuffers. I used to be able to count on putting a couple of CDs and a paperback or two into my wife's stocking.

Now what?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by HamsterRage

I was thinking the other day that all this "eStuff", and "iStuff" has just about ruined stocking stuffers. I used to be able to count on putting a couple of CDs and a paperback or two into my wife's stocking.

Now what?

Chocolate is always a good stocking stuffer.

[MsCG1]

Originally Posted by HamsterRage

I was thinking the other day that all this "eStuff", and "iStuff" has just about ruined stocking stuffers. I used to be able to count on putting a couple of CDs and a paperback or two into my wife's stocking.

Now what?

e-Book gift cards?

[jhempel24]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Chocolate is always a good stocking stuffer.

Just don't put it by the fire...then your stocking will look like it's got the runs!!

I wonder if they are going to count Tablets into the sale of eReaders.