L.E.K says that 44% of E-Reader owners increased their new media usage

Results from L.E.K. Consulting's second annual "Hidden Opportunities in New Media Survey" of more than 2,000 households showed an explosion of e-reader purchases by a consumer segment that is significantly increasing its new media consumption. In the L.E.K. study, 44% of e-reader owners report that they increased their new media usage in the last year, as compared to 16% of "iPod Nation" and 19% of "Facebook Fanatics" who reported increased usage of new media. Results from the study also indicated that one of every ten consumers who are online now owns an e-reader. The survey sample was demographically representative of the U.S. population over 18 years of age.

"The fact that Amazon sold more Kindle books than printed books on Christmas Day 2009 speaks volumes," said Dan Schechter, vice president and media and entertainment practice head for L.E.K. Consulting.  "We've dubbed the 10% of consumers who own an e-reader as the 'E-reader Republic,' and think that it is a potential goldmine for content providers and advertisers alike," explained Schechter. The survey also showed that almost half of e-reader users increased their consumption of books, and more than one-third of their consumption was incremental. This means that many books are being sold that would not have been sold as traditional print books.