We’re ecstatic to announce that, through RISE Bookselling, the three-year EU co-funded project run by EIBF, we have unveiled our first-ever research paper that delves into current trends and consumers’ attitudes to buying and reading books titled ‘Study on consumer behaviour: book-buying trends, reading habits, and customer needs’. The study was presented by EIBF Director Julie Belgrado at the 76th Frankfurt Book Fair and met with huge success.
In a rapidly evolving market, ever so influenced by new technologies, changing consumer preferences and globalisation, booksellers face both unprecedented challenges and opportunities. EIBF believes reliable data can help them navigate this, which is exactly what the study aims to offer, leading to a deeper understanding of their customers’ habits, preferences and needs.
The study was carried out by Belgian-based market research company Listen during the spring of 2024. Looking at data from 19 different countries and surveying a sample number of 500 people from each country, men and women from 18 to 55+, the study reveals current trends in reading habits and consumer attitudes to book purchasing. This includes the different motivations respondents have in reading and buying books, their preferred genres and book formats depending on the country market, as well as the expectations from bookshop services and much more.
The study is presented in 19 one-pagers, each highlighting the results for a specific country and comparing them with the overall average results of those surveyed, providing a comprehensive view of the buying and reading habits in each location, as well as a unique possibility of comparison between the markets.
The countries included in the study are Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and USA.
The presentation of the study is available to watch on Youtube, while the report itself along with the separate one-pagers, as well as all previous studies and Industry Insights, are available on the RISE Bookselling website.