Gen Z’s analog obsession isn’t really about nostalgia

Vinyl records are spinning again. Film and digital point-and-shoot cameras are back in fashion. Paper planners, fountain pens, and watercolour kits are finding new homes with consumers who grew up with smartphones as an extension of their arm.The trend has become so widespread that it’s earned its own name: the “analog economy.” And it’s not just hype. In Canada, sales of vinyl and other physical music formats climbed 34.5% between 2021 and 2023, reaching nearly $85 milli