Reading Practices, Book Formats and Purchasing Behavior Among Digitally Engaged Romanian Book Consumers

Cultural practices, including reading, have evolved within digitally mediated environments, reshaping how digitally engaged Romanian book consumers interact with books. Notably, shifts in individual consumption and purchasing behavior now frame reading as a cultural practice influenced by social media platforms and other demographic and motivational factors. We investigated these dynamics through a cross-sectional online survey focusing on book purchasing and reading patterns, genre and format preferences, and the role of social networks. The analyzed data set was generated based on a non-probability sample of 230 digitally engaged Romanian book consumers. The interpretations were made based on descriptive and inferential statistical analyses obtained using the Python programming language (version 3.13.3). The results show a statistically significant difference between purchase and reading volume, although the practical magnitude was small-to-moderate, with a positive purchase-reading gap characterizing a substantial minority rather than the sample generally. Respondents also reported high engagement with fiction and frequent reading of printed books, which were measured as separate dimensions. Participation in digital reading communities was associated with higher reading activities and habits, although its relationship with book purchasing was comparatively weak. Respectively, the study provides valuable information regarding the adaptation of marketing strategies according to the behavior of modern Romanian book consumers, focusing on community-oriented recommendations and communication campaigns tailored to book consumers’ preferences and participation patterns.