11.11 is the biggest shopping day of the year in China. It was originally celebrating the unattached bachelors at universities. But then, the day became a major retail event wherein the shoppers were driven to treat and focus on themselves. A crucial part of this encouragement involves attractive discounts offered by the brands and retailers.

What is Singles’ Day?

November 11 (11.11 or Double 11) has been marked as the Singles’ Day in China since the 1990s as a representation of the singletons' joys. It originated in 1993 at Nanjing University of China. The day urges singles to socialize, treat themselves with gifts, and enjoy their singlehoods. Later, the day became a popular phenomenon for younger people as a counterpoint to Valentine's Day.

But it was not until 2009 when Alibaba, the Chinese retail giant, introduced the 11.11 Global Shopping Festival with only 27 merchant participants which made this occasion a profitable period worldwide.

How Singles’ Day Carved its Niche in Global Retail?

Singles’ Day, the Anti-Valentine’s Day in China, has evolved to become a global phenomenon, surpassing Cyber Monday and Black Friday. Spearheaded by Alibaba in 2009, the day was converted to a massive retail event involving discounts. By celebrating the singles, who are often shamed over their marital status, Alibaba created a part vibe around it. The success of the event resulted in joining other brands.

With its cultural root of supporting unmarried individuals, the day reached across the world. The live-streaming shopping events, interactive promotions, and discounts involving games have engaged younger audiences. For instance, its 2016 event featured a performance by Katy Perry, a live-stream fashion show in Shanghai, and virtual reality shopping.

Now, Singles’ Day has become a major 24-hour online retail event with JD and Alibaba each recording sales more than Cyber Monday and Black Friday could earn together. With this, the global brands started to recognize this day to attract more Chinese consumers and, at the same time, support the global singletons.

Singles’ Day also led brands and retailers to use real-time data to optimize and streamline their supply chain, customize the shopping experience, and forecast trends.

Major Brands on Singles’ Day

11.11 acts as the powerhouse for global retail for fashion and luxury brands. By embracing Singles’ Day, luxury labels such as Cartier, Prada, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton started to launch limited-edition capsule collections and products via e-commerce giants of China such as Tmall Luxury Pavilion of Alibaba. Premium brands like Coach and Michael Kors utilize Singles’ Day to attract young customers in China by offering approachable pricing and discounts.

Burberry incorporated technology and innovations such as augmented reality (AR) and gamified plays to engage the shoppers. It also collaborates with Alibaba including virtual flagship stores. Balenciaga also chose to go with a digital face for the day by launching exclusive collections on platforms. Zara and H&M used Singles’ Day in their global promotional marketing strategies. Stella McCartney promoted sustainable fashion and encouraged shoppers to shop responsibly on this day through a special campaign. Nike and Adidas used promotional discounts and gamified shopping experiences via interactive apps. For 2023, L'Oréal Paris showcased products with exclusive gift bundles and flash sales along with livestreaming tutorials and benefits of the products. It led the brand to get a 60% sales hike during the event.

For Singles’ Day (11.11) 2024, PUMA offered a major discount for its T7 track jacket (originally retailed at $119, sold at $47,60). Adidas promoted discounts for products such as VL Count 3.0 shoes. E-commerce platforms like Farfetch showcased exclusive partnerships with high-end designers. Luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton and Gucci offered limited-time offers, online collections, and early access to unreleased products. Livestreaming was a pivotal tool for the engagement.

Alibaba 11.11 Shopping Festival 2024

In 2024, Alibaba’s retail operations in China, Taobao, and Tmall, stated a strong hike in gross merchandise volume and touched a record-breaking number of active buyers on the 16th anniversary of the 11.11 Shopping Festival.

By midnight of the day, 79 beauty brands, 66 clothing brands, and 34 consumer electronics brands crossed RMB 100 million in GMV. 589 brands crossed RMB 100 million in GMV, an increase of 46,5% compared to last year, and 45 brands surpassed RMB 1 billion in GMV. The high-profile brands include Nike, Xiaomi, and Apple.

Taobao and Tmall integrated AI-powered tools to revolutionize merchant capability, reduce costs, and improve efficiency. The AI toolkit was adopted by over 4 million merchants and it facilitated them to create more than 100 million marketing campaigns and 2 million web traffic analysis. The tools include Ali Assistant and Business Advisor which empower medium and small businesses. Quanzhantul, the AI-driven marketing tool, helped 290K merchants boost their sales and improved the growth of 1,6 million products.

The emerging category in this festival was the Gen Z and Millennial Lifestyle which included 4 collectible toy and designer brands, and 34 outdoor and sports brands. This category surpassed RMB 100 million in GMV. The sub-categories like high-end pet supplies (Done by brands like Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., Celine, Hermes, Fendi, Thom Browne, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, and more), collectible toys are popular among Gen Z and Millennials.

Cover Image: Alibaba's 11.11 Global Shopping Festival 2022, courtesy Alibaba Group.