6. Consumer behaviour

To identify consumers' attitudes towards the consumption of book and their reading preferences a survey has been conducted. Because the sample was relatively small as the respondents were mainly our friends and other people we know, the results are not representative for the whole population of Polish readers. Even though, they are quite interesting. 
Data about respondents:
In the survey took part the total number of 107 respondents.


Twice as much women responded to our questionaire. It partially proves the commonly known fact that women read more than men as well as the fact that they are more willing to take part in surveys.

The age group that prevails is 20-25 years old (79% of total respondents).


Most of respondents are still students of undergraduate studies, therefore so far they have secondary education.
Almost 60% of respondents live in cities with over 50 000 habitants.

Syrvey findings:
Only people who regularly read were asked to take part in the survey.

The number of respondents who read few books per year and 1-2 books per month is almost equal. Together they constitute 75% of all respondents. 19% of the respondents read 1-2 book per week and only 6% 3 or more books per week. This results reflect the overall trend of readership in Poland.
The percentage of respondents who buy few books per year is the highest and constitues almost 59% of all responses. 19% of respondents buy 1-2 books per month and 6% 1-2 books per week. Nobody buys 3 or more books per weeks. The percentage of readers who don't buy books at all is also high and constitutes 17% of all responses. The results show that number of readers is bigger than buyers. Also very little people buy books really often. This may be caused by the high and still raising book prices.
Most buyers get their books from bookstores and from the Internet which isn't surprising considering that these are the places with the biggest selection of titles. Book fairs are not really popular, probably because young people consider them events for older readers.



Between books from the categories of fantasy, science fiction, crime and romance; travel guides; technical and professional; guides; bibliographies, letters and memoirs; wine/cuisine and comics, the first group is without doubt bought the most. Those who buy fantasy, science fiction, crime and romance books most often do it in bookstores (38 out of 107 respondents) and then on the Internet (24 out of 107%). Small percentage get their books from book fairs while nobody buys them in kiosks or in supermarkets. Those who buy travel guides do so in bookstores, on the Internet in kiosks and a small percentage buys them in kiosks. Technical and professional books are only bought on the Internet (the majority of responses) and in bookstores. This is because only these two places that have them on offer. Also, more respondents choose to buy on the Internet as the choice there is bigger.  98% of respondents do not buy books about wine/cuisine and 93 % do not buy bibliographies, letters and memoirs. The most probable reason for this is that most respondents were students and that kind of literature does not interest them.  Also, only 19% buy guides. This is because all kind of information can be found on the Internet. This also applies for cuisine books. To find an interesting recipe it’s easier to search in Google instead of buying a book. And it doesn’t cost anything. Comisc proven to be purchased mostly in kiosks, then in bookstores and on the Internet.


Those who read buy don't buy book, borrow them, both from libraries and friends. The percentage of respondents who borrow often is 40% in case of libraries and 36% in case of friends. The number of those who never borrow books isn't high and probably reflects those people with specific book preferences.

Asked about what makes them read/buy a book, most respondents answered that other people's recommendation. Reviews and author's name also attract readers/buyers. Bestseller list does so in a smaller scale and advertising even less. These results shows that respondents trust other people's opinion when it comes to book. They also have authors they like and want to read their new books.


Crime novels, and science fiction and fantasy books are those bought most often. Also scholar and language learning books have a high number of buyers. These results reflect the overall trend on the Polish book market.
Crime novels, and science fiction and fantasy are also most read book genres. The number of readers of scholar publications is lower than buyers, which is common as academic teachers often recommend students to buy books, but in the end all what is needed to pass an exam can be found in notes from lectures.
Home is the place where respondents read more often, with public transport being the second most popular. Home being chosen by 75% isn't surprising as it can offer the best conditions to read to most people. Public transport is where some people choose to read in order to kill bordom of everyday's commuting.


Most respondents read books for intertainment and relaxation which reflects the overall trend of Polish and world's readership. The percentage of those who read to increse their knowledge is also high, contrary to general situation in Poland. This may be because most respondents are still studying. Reading books to kill bordom is less but still popular and 22% of respondents read for professional reasons.

E-books are used by 45% of respondents which is quite a high number. This may be the case because younger people are more open to modern technologies.

However, audio-books are only used by 16% of respondents. This isn't surprising, as for most people books must be read and not listened to.

Asked if they recommend books woth reading to other people, 32% says that they do it always, 43% often and 22% sometimes. Only 3% of respondents never does so, which may be caused by thier specific tastes that probably wouldn't be met by their friends.
Asked if there was a book they always returned to, only 6 out of 107 people responded positively. That means that they read a book then move over to another and rereading is not something that they like.
The amount of time people spend on reading daily is distributed quite evenly, with more that 2 hours being chosen by the less people, which isn't surprising, considering the pace of life nowadays. The fact that 37% read between 30 minutes and an hour per day raises the spirit.