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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Zoe Wood

CDs return to Christmas shopping lists as gen Z embrace ‘retro renaissance’

Copies of US singer Taylor Swift's album The Life of a Showgirl are seen on a stand during the release party at Target in Times Square, in New York
At a retail price of £12, compact disc copies of Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl are considerably cheaper than vinyl editions. Photograph: John Taggart/EPA

Forget the vinyl revival. CD players and compact discs are back on Christmas lists this year amid a wave of 90s nostalgia and coveted “deluxe” releases from big acts such as Taylor Swift and Pink Floyd.

Demand for compact discs peaked in the mid-00s and many households ditched their systems and libraries as digital music took off. But the distinctive whirr is returning to bedrooms around the country, with retailers and marketplaces experiencing an uptick in appetite for vintage tech and music to play on it.

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