Consumers are Drawn to E-Reader Convenience but Seek Tactile Experience, Hands-on Feeling

E-reader adoption has created some interest among consumers, but
according to a new report from leading
market research company The NPD Group there is still some consumer
convincing to be done.

While 37 percent of consumers surveyed in NPD’s
E-readers Snapshot Report expressed interest in purchasing an
e-reader, more than 40 percent of consumers said they were “somewhat
uninterested” or
“not interested at all.”

When asked why, nearly 70 percent of those
not interested said it’s because they prefer the feel of an actual
book.

Of those 37 percent who said they were “very interested” or “somewhat
interested” in purchasing an e-reader some of the most appealing
e-reader
features to them were ones that already exist in the two most popular
e-reader products.

According to the report, more than half of
consumers were
interested in wireless capability which is offered in the Amazon
Kindle as well as the touch-screen capabilities like on the Sony
Reader.

One of the main reasons consumers said they were drawn to e-readers
was the ability to buy and store multiple books, magazines, and
newspapers.

Among the other top reasons was the convenience of downloading books
from the Web rather than purchasing them at a store, and the ease of
carrying
an e-reader versus a physical book, newspaper, or magazine.

“Today's e-reader offerings are delivering capabilities that are in
demand by consumers,” said Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis
at NPD.

“However, some features that could enhance the appeal of more popular
content, such as color, remain on the drawing board. Consumers may
overlook
their attachment to a book's tactile attributes, particularly for
reading materials where timeliness and convenience takes precedence
over leisure,” said
Rubin.

For more insight from Ross Rubin about the e-reader market check out
his blog post.


More than 2,000 adults from NPD’s online panel completed this survey
between May 26 and June 3, 2009.


The NPD Group is the leading provider of reliable and comprehensive
consumer and retail information for a wide range of industries. Today,
more than 1,700 manufacturers, retailers, and service companies rely
on NPD to help them drive critical business decisions at the global,
national,
and local market levels. NPD helps our clients to identify new
business opportunities and guide product development, marketing,
sales, merchandising, and other functions. Information is available
for the following industry sectors: automotive, beauty, commercial
technology,
consumer technology, entertainment, fashion, food and beverage,
foodservice, home, office supplies, software, sports, toys, and
wireless. For
more information, contact

http://www.npd.com

http://www.npdgroupblog.com