Shoppers turning to experiences over traditional presents this holiday season

Forget the usual holiday shopping frenzy. This year, the hottest gifts aren’t ties, perfumes or crockery but rather experiences, according to a recent study.

“This… is a memory,” says Gary McKenzie, co-owner of Axe Throwing Winnipeg, who has witnessed this trend firsthand.

The sentiment is echoed by a growing number of people who are choosing to give the gift of an experience over traditional material presents.

“We have 10-year-olds all the way up to 80-year-olds coming in here,” McKenzie said.

Axe Throwing Winnipeg offers a unique and accessible experience for people of all ages and abilities. With a dedicated coach to guide participants, a variety of axes of all weights, and with multiple games to choose from everyone can be a part of the thrill.

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Another popular experience gift this year are classes to help you learn a skill.

Capital K Distillery has seen a surge in popularity for their classes, which teach participants how to make a variety of cocktails.

“We’re not trying to teach how to become a bartender,” explained Jason Kang from Capital K Distillery.

“It’s to give you a better understanding of cocktails, and what [experiments] you can do with them”

Jas Singh of Winnipeg Digest, a Winnipeg lifestyle guide, believes this shift towards experiential gifts is due to their ability to create lasting memories.

“It definitely is [more unique] than gifting an object and I think it allows for someone to have a more fond memory of you,” Singh said.