The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) has released the findings of a survey, according to which consumers around the world are increasingly aware of tablets and e-readers. Consumers are prepared to buy these devices, especially if prices come down, says the survey of more than 14,000 consumers across 16 markets, including China, Germany, the UK and the US.
The survey findings further state that the initial consumer interest in these devices, which reached a crescendo in April 2010 with the release of Apple's iPad, remains strong. Two-thirds, or 67 percent, of all US consumers were familiar with tablets and e-readers in December 2010, when the survey was conducted, up from 54 percent in March 2010, when BCG conducted a similar survey. The US findings mirrored those in most other markets. In China, some 73 percent were familiar with these devices - the highest of any of the markets in the survey. In the UK, the figure was 59 percent - up 16 percent, the biggest jump in awareness of any market.
Worldwide, intent to purchase remained strong. The survey found that 69 percent of consumers who are already familiar with tablets and e-readers are planning to purchase one of these devices in the next three years. That is down only slightly from 73 percent in the March 2010 survey. In the US, 50 percent of consumers familiar with these devices plan to buy a tablet or an e-reader in the next year, up 3 percentage since March.
Despite the tendency for the prices of consumer electronics products to decline rapidly, consumers are still willing to pay tablet prices similar to the amounts they were willing to pay in March, especially in Europe. Consumers in Italy, for example, are willing to spend up to $330 for a tablet. In Germany, the upper limit is about $260, and in the US, about $200. While these amounts are below the $499 entry price of an iPad, they suggest where tablets could be selling in a year or so if prices fall in line with the price declines of other consumer electronics products.
The survey offers hope for publishers and other content owners that view tablets as an opportunity to create digital revenue streams. Consumers are willing to pay about the same amount for digital content presented on tablets as they were in March 2009, the survey says. US consumers are willing to spend $5-10 for a digital book, $3-6 for a monthly magazine subscription, and $5-10 for a monthly newspaper subscription. These price levels are sufficiently encouraging to give content owners confidence that their digital investments will pay dividends.
The survey was conducted over the web in December 2010. A total of 14,314 respondents from 16 markets participated. There were at least 700 respondents from each market. All respondents were web users and readers of print books, magazines, or newspapers. There were equal numbers of male and female respondents. Respondents were located throughout their respective markets, except for those from Australia, South Korea and China, where the results were tilted toward urban areas.
Search for more Industry study reports
To access our daily STM news feed through your iPhone, iPad, or other smartphones, please visit www.myscoope.com for a mobile friendly reading experience.
