Four things to know about nostalgia
1. The nostalgia economy
Nostalgia isn’t just a feeling; it’s a multibillion-dollar opportunity. According to HTF Market Intelligence, the “global nostalgia-driven eats market”—foods and beverages that evoke fond memories—was worth US$18 billion in 2024 and will surpass $30 billion by 2033.
READ: Nostalgia and novelty fuelling changes in Canadian consumer tastes
2. Young and wistful
Globally, 85% of consumers say flavours that are familiar or comforting most influence their food and beverage choices, according to Innova Market Insights.
In Canada, Mintel research from March 2025 finds millennials are particularly receptive to nostalgia, with 67% of those aged 35 to 44 agreeing with the statement: “I enjoy products that remind me of the past.” Joel Gregoire, associate director of food and drink at Mintel, says the trend reflects how millennials straddle two eras.
“They’re the last nondigitally native generation,” he says. “They remember a time before the internet, when online information—and the stress it can create—didn’t exist.”
Even younger generations feel strongly connected to nostalgia: 70% of Canadians aged 25 to 34 say they enjoy products that remind them of the past. Gregoire says the appeal goes beyond memory to “meaning—a belief, however romanticized, that products and times were better in the past.”
3. Retro resurgence
A slew of food and beverage brands are riding the nostalgia wave. Munchies potato chips, Bagel Bites and Lunchables portable lunch kits have all recently re-entered the market. Another example? Clearly Canadian, a fruit-flavoured sparkling water brand popular in the ‘80s and ‘90s that crowdfunded its return to market in 2017.
Recent brand innovations include new flavours such as Mountain Blackberry & Wild Cherry and the launch of six-pack cans. Over the past 12 months, the company has expanded its in-store presence, driving a 44% increase in sales.
The growth has been “mainly from new distribution and increased velocities at retail,” including Loblaw, Sobeys and Metro in Ontario, says Casey Howe, vice-president of marketing, Clearly Food & Beverage Company.
READ: In a polycrisis era, tradition becomes a retail strategy
Last year, Bimbo Canada’s Vachon brand revived its 1990s-era Rosettes snack cakes—fluffy golden sponge topped with a sweet chocolatey floret—in Quebec, Ontario and Atlantic Canada. The decision was informed by qualitative insights tied to nostalgia, as well as learnings drawn from earlier brand reintroductions, including the return of Croquettes vanilla cakes in Quebec in 2024, says Vachon brand manager Marie-Pier Faucher.
Modernizing the way the brand story is communicated, Faucher says nostalgia is a bridge to reassure long-time fans while sparking curiosity and encouraging new generations to discover Vachon.
Meanwhile, Pepsi’s Bubly sparkling water brand is partnering with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which opened on April 1, with special-edition 12 packs and new mini cans. “Super Mario is one of the most timeless and beloved franchises in entertainment,” notes Michael Smith, vice-president of marketing for Bubly.
4. Retro-ing retail
Nostalgia has become a proven playbook for Pattison Food Group (formerly Overwaitea Food Group), operator of the Buy-Low Foods, Choices Market, Quality Foods and Save-On-Foods banners. After strong results from a retro-themed celebration of its 100th anniversary, the company returned to the strategy last summer for its 110th anniversary, launching another round of limited-time, nostalgia-inspired products.
The assortment included Overwaitea-branded kettle corn, birthday cake-flavoured ice cream and ripple potato chips in vintage- style packaging with muted colours and ornamental framing.
“The anniversary items performed very well, with strong sell-through compared to their regular-packaged counterparts,” says Carl Ryan, Pattison Food Group’s general manager of private brands.
This article was first published in Canadian Grocer’s March/April 2026 issue.
