Nostalgia could shape Canadians’ holiday gift purchases this year, with younger shoppers showing particular interest in older technology and physical media, according to a Best Buy Canada survey reported by Global News.

The survey, conducted by Angus Reid, found 40 per cent of Canadians said they were likely to buy a holiday gift out of nostalgia. That proportion rose to 53 per cent among millennials and 49 per cent among Gen Z respondents, Global News reporter Uday Rana reported.

The findings describe shoppers’ intentions and preferences, rather than completed holiday sales. They also point to an interest in owning entertainment in a physical format: one-third of respondents said they were drawn to older technology because they valued owning items such as vinyl records and video game cartridges.

“We’re seeing younger Canadians rediscover technology many of us grew up with, but this isn’t nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake,” Kushal Samy, Best Buy Canada’s director of brand marketing, said in the report.

Nearly one-quarter of Canadians — 23 per cent — said they had bought music, movies or games in a physical format during the past year. Millennials and Gen Z respondents reported higher purchasing rates, at 32 per cent and 30 per cent respectively, compared with 12 per cent among boomers.

The devices attracting interest differed by generation. The Apple iPod led the retro products highlighted in the survey, with Gen Z showing the most interest, followed by BlackBerry phones with physical keyboards. Millennials favoured older gaming consoles, including the Nintendo 64 and Super Nintendo, while boomers were most nostalgic for VCRs and VHS tapes.

Global News also cited a separate Angus Reid survey, released last month, in which 37 per cent of Canadians said they had cancelled at least one streaming service in the previous six months. That compared with 32 per cent four years earlier.

Best Buy identified headphones, earbuds, video game consoles, turntables and vinyl records as popular categories this year.

Sources