Kindle eBook sales overtake print in UK
Amazon say sales of digital books have overtaken print in the UK, growing at a faster rate than in the US
Amazon say sales of digital books have overtaken print in the UK, growing at a faster rate than in the US
Persuading people to replace their physical books with digital versions has taken longer than many in the industry expected, with many older generations reluctant to give up the comforting feel of a print book. However, the tide may have begun to turn, with the popularity of eBooks soaring in recent years.
Yesterday, Amazon announced that in the UK sales of eBooks for their Kindle reader have surpassed those of physical copies for the first time. The Kindle has only been available in the UK for two years, and the growth in use of the digital book reader has sharply risen. After the Kindle’s release in the US, it took four years for eBooks to overtake print versions.
Amazon says that for every 100 print books they sell on their UK website, they sell 112 Kindle books. The firm’s vice president for the Kindle in the EU, Jorrit Van der Meulen, said: “Customers in the UK are now choosing Kindle books more often than print books, even as our print business continues to grow.
“We hit this milestone in the US less than four years after introducing Kindle, so to reach this landmark after just two years in the UK is remarkable and shows how quickly UK readers are embracing Kindle.”
