Sales of media tablets in North America will reach 195 million units by 2015, according to a new study published by RISI.
"Impact of Media Tablets on Publication Paper Markets" notes that media tablets are on pace to become a ubiquitous, mass-market, consumer product faster than any-other previously released, technological device.
The study offers the powerful implications of rapid adoption of media tablets on publication paper markets and reveals the market for media tablets, consisting of tablet computers including Apple’s iPad and electronic readers including Amazon’s Kindle, exploded in 2010.
By the end of the first year of availability, over 15 million tablet computers were in use.
In North America, the size of the electronic reader market almost doubled, with over 10 million in use.
Many graphic paper producers selling paper to the publishing industry will be greatly affected by media tablets and significant demand impacts could come in early 2012.
The study reveals that most publishing paper end uses in North America, such as magazine, newspaper and book publishing, will fall 12-21% compared to their 2010 levels.
The study forecasts the decline by grade and end-use in the publication paper market over the next five, ten and fifteen years, analysing the effects of e-readers and tablet computers on the North American and Western European markets.
Paper use in North American books, magazines and newspapers could see another 40-50% fall over the next 15 years.
Market declines are also anticipated in Europe, especially for printed newspapers, but the percentage losses in the Western European market will be less than North America because of a reduced rate of media tablet adoption and fragmented media markets.
