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The death of the E-Book?

The regular users of the London Tube have probably spotted a new trend emerging among commuters on the busy trains.

People are reading physical books! Yes, you are reading well…Not electronic books on Kindle or the IPad but the old style physical books.

In the last 2 weeks on average on a typical carriage I counted the following:

  • 70% of commuters use a smartphone;

  • 15% read a book

  • 10% read a newspaper;

  • 5% use an Electronic Book

Until 1 years ago my impression was that the electronic book represented the main alternatives to the use smartphones.

Few facts and statistics support the above observations:

-in UK in 2016 physical sales are up by 8% to £3bn on last year rising to the highest level since 2012

  • eBook sales were down by 3% to £538m

  • Amazon opened 11 physical bookstores in the US in the last 12 months;

  • Books publisher stocks are doing pretty well. For example, the shares of Bloomsbury Publishing increased by over 30% in the last 12 months;

  • People are finally realizing that the Kindle is really an un-sexy device!

What does it mean in terms of potential investment opportunities for the Graffiti Syndicate?

Not too much I am afraid…. Amazon is too relevant in every segment of the book trade to make possible any further disruption in the sector.

Want to find disruption in the book industry? Just buy Amazon shares…..

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