Why Kiwis are returning to favouring physical media again

Sunday, 1 December 2024

Maybe it’s the feel and smell of traditional media, or maybe we’re craving off-screen distractions, but there is no denying the fact that sales of physical books, vinyl, DVDs and even CDs are once again trending upwards.

For a while shoppers were happy to acquire these books, movies and music digitally, but it appears the tides of desire have changed.

Retailers are experiencing a strong uplift in sales of physical media, fuelled largely by a strong interest from younger generations. While the Sunday Star-Times has been unable to source any hard sales data from Stats NZ or Nielsen, anecdotally we’re also told Christmas gifting-buying is also boosting sales.

Dylan Bland, Mighty Ape co-founder and recent founder of online book store Book Hero, says that may have something to do with consumers being digitally touched out.

The Covid-19 pandemic changed a lot of consumer preferences, some for the better, and it appears many are using physical media as a form of escapism from the seemingly ever-increasing fast pace of everyday life.

“People are craving to slow down a little bit, and I think vinyl and physical media and books provide that experience,” says Auckland-based Bland.

“Everybody nowadays says time is going really quickly and I do think a big reason is because we spend so much time in micro entertainment. Think how fast time goes watching a TV show, scrolling reels and videos, it's like ‘Oh gee, that was an hour’. Whereas if you sit and read a book for an hour, it feels like a long time.

“My theory on why time feels like it's going so quickly is the experiences people are having are high dopamine, very stimulating, seeing short seconds-long videos and even watching TV shows at night, and suddenly you've watched two hours.”

You get the same feel-good hit you would from a book, for example, in a much shorter time.

Bland and Timothy Wackrow set up their online venture Book Hero in response to growing demand for, and their own love of, physical books.

“In this age of subscription where you pay and get access to a million different things digitally, people are starting to see the limits of that; where the show or the movie that you love is on the platform one minute and not the next,” says Wackrow.

Economically it doesn’t stack up either, he says, unless there were a significant number of titles you wanted to access at any given time. “You're paying $30 a month or whatever it is, for that show or DVD, forever. Whereas if you buy it, it’s on your shelf, you can pick it up and watch it whenever you want, and it’s the same with a book ‒ you don't have to subscribe to it.”

There’s a nostalgic element to physical media as well, says Bland.

He says he believes digital media has become too encompassing, with everything from calendars to social interactions behind a screen. He himself makes a conscious effort to write things down physically on paper for the same reason.

“I don't want to be competing with my email, SMS, all the pushes from different apps, I find it really overwhelming. Even things like calendars, when you walk into people’s houses, it's quite nice seeing what's on their fridge, and photos, board games and books on their shelves.”

Physical book stores in the Britain and the United States have seen sales turn around since the pandemic, with increased foot traffic and a number of new sellers popping up.

While physical book sales are growing again, Bland says it would be a brave move to open a physical store here in the current economic environment. It’s not something he is considering himself any time soon, also considering supply chain issues and the time it takes to get books to New Zealand.

“Books are special. Everyone has a relationship with their favourite book and loves recommending their favourites to people. The right book at the right time can change your life.”

Real Groovy says sales of vinyl have sky rocketed in recent years, but the real revival began decades ago. Sales of other physical media has been following similar trends recently, says managing director Chris Hart.

New vinyl sales have been growing every year, including during the pandemic.

In the early days, people were buying reissues of old favourites. Now, sales are being driven a lot more by new releases, as more people have quality turntables, says Hart.

“More recently we’ve also seen a revival in CD sales: many classic albums from the 90s and 2000s were never done on vinyl, and a lot of fans still want to have a physical copy of their favourite records.

“CDs represent good value, most new releases are the same price as they were when they first came out nearly 40 years ago, and second-hand ones, that are guaranteed to sound new, are even better value,” says Hart.

“We are also experiencing a rise in DVDs. A lot of people wanting to watch classic movies, TV series and documentaries, but not wanting to have to subscribe to every service in order to find what they want ‒ they realise that a second-hand DVD is now a cheap alternative, and the disc can be traded back in towards other titles.

“Many are adding up the cost of their subscriptions and are either getting pirated downloads, or cancelling and returning to physical media.”

Five years ago classic albums were the big sellers, Hotel California, Rumours, Dark Side of the Moon - Real Groovy couldn’t get enough stock of those. Now thanks to modern-day superstars like Taylor Swift, the retailer was seeing huge sales of her 11th album, along with those from a new wave of artists like Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa and Sabrina Carpenter, says Hart.

“Most people utilise multiple formats for enjoying their music. Many of our customers own albums for intent listening in the home, through good quality amplifiers and speakers. On the move, they’ll listen on a device through ear buds or headphones, and they can watch high quality video of those songs and live concerts on YouTube or Netflix.

“Digital has its place: it’s easy, convenient and portable. Analogue is for when you want to slow the pace down and immerse yourself in an artist’s work, and a lot of folks are enjoying that time away from their screen.”

What the science says

Massey University marketing analytics professor Bodo Lang says there is a science to why sales of these items are gaining momentum right now.

He says these tangible items, that form part of our extension of ourselves, provide endorphins and feel good hormones at a time when we may be needing them most.

Having physical items to hold ‒ ones that stoke memories of good times ‒ and to do with as we please, in a simple sense, allows us to retain some control over our lives in an increasingly uncertain world.

“There's so much uncertainty, and I think tangibility gives you a sense of certainty, and linked to that is a sense of ownership,” says Lang.

“A play list on Spotify or list on Netflix could just disappear overnight if you cancel your subscription, or if there's a hacking attack. I think having certainty of holding an item in your hand gives you certainty and a sense of control and ownership, and those have become increasingly important because of the increasing uncertainty of the political and financial environment, and also the increasing digitalisation of our lives.”

While what’s happening in politics or the economy that impact our mortgages rates, or the prices we pay for goods and job security are changing, ownership of physical goods is one way consumers can retain some control, says Lang.

“There’s an increasing appeal of tangibility in this intangible world.”

In addition to nostalgia and control playing into factors driving physical media sales, Lang also believes screen fatigue is a contributing reality.

“These items give a reason to get off the screen because you're actually listening to the music or you're reading, holding the book.

“Social media is lightning fast. The news is lightning fast. It gets updated every minute, basically, you will never stay on top of it, and tangible items, they're slow media and so you control how they're paced, and I think there's a real appeal in its simplicity of slow media compared to fast digital media.”

People were appreciating that more than ever, given just how fast-paced consumption has become, says Lang.

“The books, CDs and vinyl record, they form part of our extended self, which then provides benefits to us. It makes us feel good about ourselves, because it provides nostalgia, control, ownership and slow media.”