You’d think that an internet retail behemoth like Amazon would primarily sell a lot of cutting-edge tech during the holidays, but nope — that wasn’t the case this year. The company has posted its annual holiday bestsellers, and it turns out that some of the hottest purchases were decidedly retro. The best-selling camera tech this year, for example, was Fujifilm’s Instax instant film. A digital camera, the GoPro Hero4, was only a runner-up. Likewise, the top home audio gear was a Jensen turntable, eclipsing a Yamaha receiver and Sonos’ Play:1 two-speaker kit.
Yes, newer technology did rule other places on the chart, but not necessarily in the way you’d think. It’s evident that many people are thrifty when they shop online: both the top-selling laptop (a Toshiba Satellite C55) and TV (a 32-inch, 1080p Samsung set) were budget models, and even the best-selling tablets were Amazon’s entry-level variants. While the shopping data isn’t completely surprising (you probably want to see that expensive 4K TV in person before you buy it), it’s a reminder that people haven’t fully embraced the concept of buying big-ticket items sight unseen.
[Image credit: Cyrus McCrimmon/The Denver Post via Getty Images]
Source: Amazon