In just two years after Amazon.co.uk first introduced the Kindle, British consumers are now buying more eBooks than paper and hardback books, Amazon has revealed.
Figures released by Amazon today (August 7) state that since the start of 2012, for every 100 paperback and hardbook books sold by the Amazon UK website, customers downloaded 114 eBooks.
The company clarified that the un-audited figures include sales of print books that don't have Kindle eBook versions, but don't include demand for free titles.
Amazon feels that its Kindle devices are leading to a 'renaissance of reading', as British owners of the eReader devices buy four times as many books as they were before buying the device.
Jorrit Van der Meulen, vice-president of Kindle EU, said: "Customers in the UK are now choosing Kindle books more often than print books, even as our print business continues to grow.
"We hit this milestone in the US less than four years after introducing Kindle, so to reach this landmark after just two years in the UK is remarkable and shows how quickly UK readers are embracing Kindle.
"As a result of the success of Kindle, we're selling more books than ever before on behalf of authors and publishers."
© PA Images / Mark Lennihan/AP
Sales of eBooks were boosted by Amazon's landmark deal with JK Rowling earlier in the year to finally start offering the Harry Potter book series on its Kindle devices.
But demand has arguably been more affected by the incredible success of erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James, which has sold more than two million copies in just four months and is the most popular Kindle title so far in 2012.
Amazon also claims that Kindle has helped support new writing talent through its Kindle Direct Publishing service, allowing authors to distribute their work without the backing of a major publisher.
The company noted that three of the top 10 most popular Kindle authors in 2012 – Nick Spalding, Katia Lief and Kerry Wilkinson - came from the self-publishing programme.
