Barnes & Noble says e-books outsell physical books online

Bookseller Barnes & Noble said Thursday that it now sells more digital books than physical volumes on its online bookstore.

Customers bought or downloaded nearly 1 million e-books on Christmas Day alone, the company said in a press release.

The Nook e-reader has become a bestseller, according to the bookseller. The Nook Color, introduced two months before Christmas, was the company's No. 1 selling holiday gift item, according to the company release.

Barnes & Noble launched the Nook last year to compete with Amazon's Kindle reader. Analysts estimate that Barnes & Noble has sold about 2 million Nooks, while the Kindle, launched in 2007, is thought to have sold about 6 million devices, according to Reuters.

While Barnes & Noble claims a 20% share of the e-book market, the company reported a loss in the quarter ending Oct. 30.

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-- Abby Sewell

Photo: The Barnes & Noble Nook Color reader. Credit: Richard Drew / Associated Press