E-books
accounted for about 16% of Canadian book purchases in the first half of 2012, a
new survey commissioned by BookNet Canada found. According to the report, “The
Canadian Book Consumer 2012: Book-Buying Behaviour in Canada January to June
2012,” the most popular format in the period was paperback, which accounted for
57% of sales, while hardcovers represented 24% of unit sales. E-books’ share of
sales declined slightly between the first and second quarters, down from 17.5%
to 15%, which BNC speculated was due to the high rate of e-readers given as
presents over the holidays that resulted in a burst of e-book buying in the
first quarter.
