INTERNET BUSINESS NEWS-(C)1995-2005 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

Hitwise, an online competitive intelligence service, has revealed that online traffic for 15 July 2005 in the UK to various Harry Potter websites and online bookstores has increased as the launch of 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' draws nearer.

The sixth novel in the series is due for release at midnight on 16 July, with over one million copies having been pre-ordered in advance by fans, and all online indicators are suggesting that the new book is poised to break all previous sales records.

Bloomsbury, the UK publisher responsible for the Harry Potter books, has experienced an increase in traffic to its website throughout the week, which has resulted in its market share increasing almost four-fold within the Hitwise UK Shopping - Books category.

Tesco Books, which offers a 47% discount on the book's RRP, has seen a 69% increase in traffic to its site in July, and Amazon, which is also offering readers a 47% discount, has increased its market share of the Shopping & Classifieds - Books category by 1.07% this month.

According to data from Hitwise, for the four-week period ending Saturday 9 July Harry Potter was the most searched-for book title, as well as being the 210th most popular term amongst all online searches in the UK.

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