The Apple iPad is being discussed because the saviour of newspapers by publishers and commentators round the world. Whilst it will take the time to comprehend whether the iPad will deliver a bankable revenue stream to newspaper publishers, the bigger question for newspaper retailers is whether the iPad will effect on newspaper buying habits.
Consumers buy newspapers out of habit and for a sudden need. I declare that in both situations, the iPad is improbable to impact noticeably on the purchase patterns, not for the following couple of years at least.
While iPad sales have now been excellent in the United States in the initial weeks following release, it will need years to achieve the degree of critical mass necessary to really have a viable channel. Another barrier is app up take.
Each iPad user wanting to gain access to a newspaper, national or local, will need to purchase an app, a registration to the newspaper. The current pricing model is not absolutely all that attractive. pool result While I expect lots of iPad users to check newspapers, I suspect so it will take the time for people to see an on-going commitment.
Newspaper publishers themselves are just just starting to get accustomed to the new platform. The versions of newspapers today on the iPad can look archaic in just a few months. It a couple of years we will not recognise them when compared to what’ll be accessible them.
Increase the challenge of the new technology and the first versions of newspapers the issue of the technology itself – the necessity for power and the necessity for internet access. Each of these factors is really a barrier that’ll slow getting to the point where we notice a direct effect on sales.
Depending on the location, single copy newspaper sales, sales non-prescription, can account for 33% of all newspaper sales. A number of these are to infrequent purchasers. These clients are unlikely to adopt a technology solution in even the medium term.
Physical newspapers win within the iPad today for convenience, price per copy and flexibility in terms of the method that you interact with the product. These benefits can and will soon be combated by the technology although not immediately. For this reason retailers selling newspapers have the opportunity in the short term to carry on to leverage print newspaper sales.