Amazon’s latest survey on French reading habits shows that 71% consider it easier to access the books they want to read online than by any other means.
Of the total, 77% said it was easier to find the information they need to make their choice, and 72% said there was a greater variety of titles than before.
The survey, to mark the 25th anniversary of the company’s arrival in France, was conducted by polling agency IFOP among a representative sample of 3,000 of French people aged at least 18. The survey took the form of an online questionnaire posted between 11th to 14th March.
Altogether 70% of respondents said they bought books in bookshops and 66% online. Reflecting general consumer trends, 52% buy books both in bricks-and-mortar outlets and remotely, eight percentage points more than in 2021.
Technology has had an impact, with 29% saying they owned an e-reader, and one in 10 used it regularly. The proportions rose sharply to 44% and 15% for the under-40s “Amazon generation”. The advantages of saving space, choice and price were rated by 26%, 18% and 17%, respectively.
One in three e-reader owners said they read more than before, and nine out of 10 said they read as much or more. Moreover, 75% said they also buy as many or more print books than before.