Amazon (NSDQ: AMZN) hasn’t reached a digital tipping point everywhere – its disclosure today flags the quick transition to e-books in the U.S. specifically.
Although it reported: “Amazon.com customers are now purchasing more Kindle books than all print books – hardcover and paperback – combined,” that means the U.S. .com site.
Elsewhere, the migration is far less. “Less than one year after introducing the UK Kindle Store, Amazon.co.uk is now selling more Kindle books than hardcover books, even as hardcover sales continue to grow. Since April 1, Amazon.co.uk customers are purchasing Kindle books over hardcover books at a rate of more than 2 to 1.”
That UK Kindle sales have only overtaken one print category could be for three reasons…
- Paperbacks are more commonly printed in the UK.
- Kindle Store launched far later here, after what was a really lacklustre effort at rolling out even the hardware reader outside America.
- The whole e-book adoption is happening particularly fast in the States and less so in the UK. This recent Bowker data shows how digital purchases amongst book buyers have shot up in the last couple of quarters in the States, far more quickly than in the UK…
