TORONTO—E-book sales now account for approximately 16.3 per cent of the country’s book market, according to a BookNet study on Canadian book-buying behaviour reported on by the CBC.

The bright side for the print industry is that while e-book sales are on the rise, print is still the overwhelming favourite with readers—paperbacks alone accounted for over 55% of the book market, with hardcovers representing 23%.

It also appears that buyers don’t like crossing their streams: while over 85% of survey-takers are buying printed books and under 20% are going the e-book route, less than 7% are purchasing both.

The report, which analyzed consumer surveys collected from January to June 2012, also finds that consumers are increasingly purchasing printed books outside of the local Chapters or mom-and-pop bookstore.

Just a third of printed books sold were purchased in traditional bookstores, with big box retailers, grocery stores, and other miscellaneous outlets selling around 30%. Online shopping factored in as well, with over 25% of sales.

Founded in 2002, BookNet Canada is a non-profit organization serving the Canadian book industry.

An executive summary of The Canadian Book Consumer 2012 report can be ordered for free at booknetcanada.ca, and the full report is also available for purchase.