Amazon Kindle tops yearly Japan e-reader sales five months after launch

Amazon.com's Kindle e-reader has dominated the competition in Japan since its launch last year, according to new research, showing the company's low pricing and powerful brand may have overcome its late entrance into the market. The Kindle accounted for 38.3 percent of the e-reader market in Japan in the 12-month period through March, market data firm MM Research said. That compared to a 33 percent share for Rakuten's Kobo and a 25.5 percent share for Sony's Reader device. The Kindle was officially launched in November of last year, meaning the figures represent only its first five months of sales. By contrast, Rakuten acquired Kobo and launched in Japan from July, while Sony launched its first model in 2004. The Kindle launch was seen in Japan as the official start of the long-stagnant electronic book market in the country. Amazon is a household name among consumers in Japan, especially for books, and negotiations with publishers before the launch were closely followed. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here Continue reading at 'PC World'

[ PC World | 2013-07-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #officially launched #kindle e-reader #low pricing #powerful brand #official start

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