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Recommendation and review 'less important' for online shoppers

Price and range have been highlighted as the most important factors in buying habits of online book buyers, with recommendation and review less crucial.

In a survey of 91,500 customers worldwide on the Book Depository's website, the retailer found price was critical with 63.1% of customers deeming it very important. Range was the next factor identified with 51.5% regarding it as "very important". However, review (6.2% deemed it very important) and recommendation (6.6%) were seen as less important factors among shoppers.

More than two thirds of those surveyed said they bought e-books, with 46% saying they would buy more e-books in future. Only 3.4% said they planned to buy less digital books in future. PC laptops were the most popular method of reading e-books, among 10.8% of customers. The iPhone was the next device of choice (7.8%), followed by the Amazon Kindle (6.2%)

Almost three quarters of shoppers (71.6%) said they bought their books online, with high street chains popular among 11.8% of customers and indies the bookseller of choice for 9.9%.

The Book Depository received responses from customers worldwide with the majority of responses from English-speaking countries. The survey was carried out in conjunction with the For Dummies series of books.

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By Nick Harkaway

Do we know if they broke the Kindle stats down by device? Or does that mean that all those people were reading on Kindles rather than Kindle apps on various platforms?

Tue, 15/03/2011 - 12:05

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By Blah blah blah

Press release.

Tue, 15/03/2011 - 13:08

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By Plodit

This is interesting findings and publishers need to take note!

Tue, 15/03/2011 - 13:14

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By Flay

So what if it's a press release? This is the only way most of us get to see this kind of information, even if it comes without editorial comment.

Tue, 15/03/2011 - 13:15

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By John H Walsh

This is amazing! An online survey from an online bookseller could only find 71.6% of their customers buying their books online. This is valuable if worrying information for The Book Depositry since they seem to have lost or, at least, lost the loyalty of a quarter of their customers.

Tue, 15/03/2011 - 13:54

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By CooVavi

I think it means 71.6% buy ALL there books online

Tue, 15/03/2011 - 14:01

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By John H Walsh

or even all of them buy 71.6% of their books online?
Lies, damned lies, and statistics. Take your pick

Tue, 15/03/2011 - 15:23

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By Morag Watkins

I don't see that this is anyway news. 71.6% of the CUSTOMERS of an online retailer buy their books online!

Wed, 16/03/2011 - 12:22

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By Nick Harkaway

Do we know if they broke the Kindle stats down by device? Or does that mean that all those people were reading on Kindles rather than Kindle apps on various platforms?

Tue, 15/03/2011 - 12:05