Presence at the Paris Book Festival, influencers that praise their latest Matcha Kindle or recommend titles to read in electronic readers, Amazon has been present for several months on all front front fronts in France.
Almost 18 years have passed since the American giant launched its strange device, which scared the book editors for a while before finding it interesting. Because Kindle, like other electronic competition readers, is increasingly popular among younger generations, while reading is in decline between French and book sales are half -mast.
France, the country where growth is faster
“France is the country that experiences the greatest growth in the world for our Kindles,” Kevin Keith, Amazon product director tells us. However, the domestic electronic reader is far from being a stranger in France, where he has already obtained good results in recent years. But over a year, Amazon representatives speak of a “two digit growth”, particularly driven by the last Kindles (colorsooft, paperwrite and basic range) presented last year. In the global market, sales growth will even surround +25% in a year until 2025.
It must be said that the facts speak largely in favor of the electronic commerce giant. According to an opinionway study for Kindle conducted at the end of 2024, young people aged 15 to 30 read an average of 17 books a year and almost half of them have already used an electronic reader (47%). Obviously, it is social networks that have recovered the taste for reading among young people, in particular with the Booktok phenomenon in Tiktok, their literary recommendations and their keywords such as #BookMademebuyit that generate reading tips, or even virtual reading clubs.
“An outstanding book in #BookTok and is an immediate increase in sales,” says David Naggar, responsible for Kindle’s books and content. 91% of respondents recognize that the Internet influences their choice of books. And this gave rise to new subgenres such as dark romance or romanticism, which have become essential.
A new way of discovering reading based on the virality of the networks, the impact of the influencers that have replaced the recommendations of bookstores, mouth to mouth and radio or television broadcasts dedicated. Each era has its own way of doing things, but, paradoxically in the era of ultraconexation, there is the same desire to disconnect from the world that surrounds us and get away from the smartphone.
Stop moving towards destiny to find yourself
While they pass an average of between 4 and 5 hours a day in front of the screens, young people “show a desire to disconnect from the networks to find quality reading time, without being interrupted by notifications or carried by the ‘Doomscrolling’ (the endless and aimless displacement of the screen, note of the editor),” David Naggar emphasizes. “What we are seeing among generation Z is a very strong change towards manufactured devices just to read or write: they say: ‘I need a break.’
The “Distractions free” side of electronic readers seems to find favor in the eyes of this overexposed generation. If it remains a screen (but with less aggressive electronic ink technology for many electronic readers) in front of another screen, it is the gesture and intention behind it what changes. “They become aware of their need for a space away from the screens, to cut the notifications and excessive demands to be able to re -be able to be better,” he adds.
The Kindle customer base continues to expand with new readers attracted by the technological aspect of the environment. But they are not only from the Z generation. We also find ancient users of the Kindle application on smartphones and tablets that are launched to give a device dedicated only to reading, easier to carry during the holidays than their book load. And the same reason: the desire to get away from the smartphone.
A global phenomenon that benefits Amazon, who also knows how to respond to the demands of this youth in design and adaptation to its own codes. Thus, the color has entered strongly into the Kindle product range, where you can now invest in a green or pink Paperwrite reader, a basic Kindle that starts from 110 euros in Matcha Green. A color that was fashionable. “We had had between 10% and 20% of the sales of Kindle electronic readers, as usual in color models. And this represented 50% of the applications,” says Kevin Keith. “To the point of creating stock of stock.”
Add color to your literary life
Current color. At the case of the case as a new external argument to highlight. On screen level to attract new readers. In the era of sleeves and comics (to a lesser extent, travel or kitchen books), the attractiveness of the color screen is growing among readers. And Amazon understands it well. Colorsooft makes it easy to wear thousands of manga in your pocket to enjoy them in color when your Electronic Premium Scribe reader will have a color screen version to read, write and draw.
On the part of Seattle, we want to believe that the color of the products and the resulting customization (many adhesives attached to the rear) play a certain role in the rise of electronic readers worldwide, without betraying the initial idea of the product. “Our compass has always been to approach the magical role,” summarizes Kevin Keith. “Each generation of devices becomes thinner, lighter, more symmetrical, but always with this concern for reading comfort and the absence of distractions.”
Arguments that resonate in this generation born in technology, but in search of disconnection and meaning. “Many studies, research and media have documented mental overload caused by our digital lifestyles, especially among young people from 19 to 29 years old who realize that they need to take a break. We hope to meet their expectations and provide them with solutions,” concludes David Naggar.
And this meeting of innovation, social virality and search for a moment of peace will continue to grow. Amazon has already planned it and knows that you will not be able to satisfy everyone with its new products announced last week in New York. And, although it is a growing market, France will have to wait until 2026 before seeing the arrival of Scribe Colorsooft and its artificial intelligence functions. A product that, however, should respond to all the expectations of its French target audience. If we will have to wait a bit, it is for production to meet demand and fierce appetite of readers for these fashion devices.
Source: BFM TV
