From VHS to iPods, retro tech is driving this year’s holiday shopping season

Posted November 12, 2026 5:00 am

2 min read

4:28 Get Connected: Latest tech news and retro-gaming devices

Like the Carpenters song promised, “it’s yesterday once more.” Nostalgia is driving a holiday shopping spree for many, with younger Canadians looking for retro tech as presents.

In the age of endless online streaming, Canadians want to return to physical media and tech, a new survey from Best Buy Canada shows.

Four in 10 (40 per cent) Canadians said they are likely to buy a holiday gift out of nostalgia, with the number jumping to around half for both millennial (53 per cent) and Gen Z (49 per cent) Canadians.

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

One-third (33 per cent) of respondents to the survey conducted by Angus Reid said they’re drawn to old tech because they value owning physical media, like vinyl records and video game cartridges.

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“People want technology that feels personal and unlocks possibilities. Sometimes that means the newest device, and sometimes it means rediscovering a format or product they love,” Samy said.

This comes as Canadians are increasingly souring on streaming services, according to another Angus Reid survey. Nearly two-in-five Canadians (37 per cent) say they’ve cancelled at least one streaming service in the past six months, up from 32 per cent four years ago, a survey released last month found.

1:33 The top tech gifts for the holiday season

The return to physical media is being led by younger Canadians, according to the Best Buy survey.

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Nearly one in four (23 per cent) Canadians said they bought music, movies or games in a physical format in the last year, rising to 32 per cent for millennials and 30 per cent for Gen Z, the survey showed.

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At 12 per cent, Boomers still lagged their younger counterparts.

The most popular retro product making a comeback is the Apple iPod, with Gen Z most interested in it. This is followed by the Blackberry phone, with its physical keyboard.

Millennials, though, favour old gaming consoles like the Nintendo 64 or Super Nintendo, while Boomers were most nostalgic for VCRs and VHS tapes.

Headphones, earbuds, video game consoles and turntables or vinyl records are all popular categories this year, Best Buy said.

Are you a retail owner seeing a surge in requests for analog or physical media right now? Are you a consumer ditching streaming for DVDs, CDs, Game Boys or iPods — or whose kids are on the hunt for these types of retro tech? We want to hear from you: use the contact form below and we may share your voice in an upcoming story or reach out to you for an interview.

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