UK tops Canada, US for ereader penetration by some estimates
Consumers who as of February 2013 planned to buy an ereading device in the next year overwhelmingly opted for a tablet in Europe. However, a significant minority remained interested in the dedicated ereader, ranging from 3.6% of consumers in the UK to 9.5% in Germany, according to a survey by Bookboon.com. But that is largely a reflection of the already significant percentage of consumers in the UK who already owned an ereading device, at 42.5%, just behind the US penetration level.
Microsoft Advertising, in conjunction with Ipsos and Flamingo Research estimated ereaders alone reached 41% of internet users in the UK in February 2013, while 49% owned a tablet. Microsoft’s numbers put the UK ahead of many other markets for penetration of a variety of devices, including ereaders. The same report also estimated that UK consumers had the highest proportion of TVs, laptops and smartphones, compared with every other market studied.
Kinetic’s ‘Moving Minds Panel,’ published in March 2013, showed that while the proportion of those considering buying a smartphone had stabilized around the 16%-mark, the smartphone market was already fairly saturated, with 62% owning the device.
However, there remains significant room for growth within the tablet market, with ownership increasing from 6% to 33% of UK web users between August 2011 and February 2013. And with 22% still thinking of getting a tablet or ereader soon.
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