• Louis Van Zeller • 

Although the first lockdown put newsstands under struggle, readers found their way to the digital press.

Cafeyn gives you some figures on reading habits during lockdown.

Digital reading explodes with lockdown

Periods analysed: 

• Before lockdown: 20 January - 16 March
• During lockdown: 17 March to 11 May

There was an average of 953 registrations per day compared to an average of 287 registrations prior to lockdown. 

Our users have kept the same habits in the morning. They are very active when they wake up, and there is always a significant peak in consumption between 6.30 and 9.30 am. Reading in the evening (after 8pm) is way less frequent during the lockdown period as the reading time is spread out over the day.

Topics focused on "passions”

Categories went very successful during lockdown such as Home +156%, Hobbies & Interests +169%, Food & Drink +122%, Culture +124%, and Craft & DIY +153%. Readers took the opportunity to discover new passions or to plan the redecoration of their homes. 

Culture versus covid-19

While the digital press has benefited from the lockdown, the cultural sector has experienced an average drop in turnover of 25% in 2020 compared to 2019 (22.3 billion euros).

The venue-based sectors (such as museums, performing arts, live music, festivals, cinema, etc.) are the hardest hit by social distancing measures. Those weakened sectors were pushed to innovate rapidly. Massive digitalisation coupled with emerging technologies, such as virtual and augmented realities, is creating new forms of cultural experience.

With the lockdown, many venues moved content on-line to keep audiences engaged and to satisfy a demand for cultural content that is increasing sharply.

Indeed, we can notice in the mean time that other digital-based sectors are coping well with the crisis:

• Video games: The UK's video games industry has grown to record levels over the past year, and at the fastest rate in more than a decade, according to its trade association.
  The Independent Games Developers' Association (TIGA) said that more than 1,740 jobs were added to the sector, which is now generating tax revenues of £907m annually.
  TIGA added that the sector was now contributing £2.2bn to UK GDP.
• Music, streaming and download platform: Time on streaming services doubles during pandemic, as 12 million adopt new services.
• Digital press: More people are consuming news digitally during the pandemic/lockdown and most expect this to last, according to a Press Gazette reader poll. Nearly half of the respondents said they were now reading more digitally than in print and expected this to continue.

And the aftermath?

The pandemic has clearly accelerated the use of digital cultural products. Digital is changing the way consumers uses culture but also the way companies use it. They have a lot to leverage by reviewing their cultural offerings in order to offer more digital content, and this is where Cafeyn can intervene.

The return to normal life after the first lockdown was punctuated with new habits. People are consuming more content than before on Cafeyn.

For companies that want to offer press for their customers or employees, Cafeyn gives access to a wide range of magazine and newspaper titles through a premium digital solution that will satisfy the diverse expectations of readers.

To find out more, contact us here.

Written by Louis Van Zeller. Design by Stéphane Gelpe