Singles Day is considered the holiday on bare sticks or the 11/11 holiday occurring each year on November 11. It is the ideal moment to treat yourself. It started way back as a day to celebrate and check the joy of being single and turned out as the most significant shopping holiday all around the year globally.
Singles Day should be distinct from any other holidays with similar themes, including National Singles Day, which is celebrated on the last Saturday of September, and Single Awareness Day, which takes place on February 15.
- History of Singles Day
- Singles Day Went From a Students Gathering To a Global Event
- Bare Sticks Holiday Is Used As a Proposal Occasion
- Singles Day Is a Dream-Come-True-Day
- Cross-Border Sales Go Big On Singles Day
- Singles’ Day Is Not One Day Anymore
- Singles Day Is a Cultural Phenomenon
- Final Thoughts
History of Singles Day
The holiday it had ever since evolved as it attained popularity over time, while the origins of Singles Day had come to work out of the anti-Valentine’s Day celebration of being single. There are Chinese holidays that got started in 1993 by students studying at the Nanjing University of Chine and aimed at creating a day to start celebrating being romantically unattached to anyone and being single. There are premises of the holidays that showcased their pride and solidarity at becoming single.
The date was selected due to their symbol of 11/11 representing 4 single ones or several side-on-side sticks. It is where the name of the bare sticks holiday or single sticks holiday originated. Singles Day in Chinese is noted as 光棍节. So that got translated to Singles Holiday.
Singles Day Went From a Students Gathering To a Global Event
1. There are college students who created the Single’s Day holiday. It was back in the 90s when a bunch of kids in China had decided to have an agenda for tagging it with a couple of activities that kill their entire loneliness or boredom. There goes the shopping spree that got felt as the ideal thing to do here, and it is another way of getting it done.
2. It marked the onset of the Shopping Festival back in 2009. The Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba capitalized on Single’s Day, offering widespread promos in 2009. The 27 merchants participated in their initial year, generating around 50m yuan in sales.
3. It marked mainly the shopping event online. Other Asian e-commerce companies have since joined the Single’s Day Bandwagon that launched their promotions for Single’s Day. The discounts of online shopping combined with offline entertainment, such as televised events getting studded with the Hollywood A-listers for more incredible stroke to becoming a shopping frenzy. The sales generated out of Single’s Day are more significant than any other figures from Black Friday, Thanksgiving, and Cyber Monday combined.
There are over 180,000 brands who participated in Singles’ Day, which raked in an estimated $30.8 billion in sales over 24 hours. On the contrary, Thanksgiving Day, Cyber Monday, and Black Friday generated a combined figure of $16.14 billion in their gross merchandise volumes.
4. It’s eventually spreading globally. Some e-commerce retailers outside Asia are slowly adopting Single’s Day, launching Single’s Day campaigns. As a result, you can expect higher discounts with better deals this season.
5. Single’s Day represents the growing influence of China. It is good to notice that some singles are having their celebration day. However, Single’s Day is no longer only a day for celebrating singlehood. It represents China’s influential and international consumer power with its ever-increasing economy and affluence across the entire city.
6. Retailers are cashing in. Single’s Day has turned out to be the world’s largest online shopping day. However, they have yet to be officially recognized as a public holiday across China. The holiday has turned out as a massive commercial event in China during the initial decade of the 21st century, whenever the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba offered greater discounted merchandise options on their platforms for the past 24 hours, starting at midnight November 11, 2023.
Since then, Single’s Day has become synonymous with spendings identical to the post-Thanksgiving Black Friday and Cyber Monday across the US. For example, Alibaba registered about $84.5 billion worth of sales across their online platforms on Single’s Day, representing about a $10 million raise from 2021 and more than double the $38.4 billion revenues generated in 2019.
7. The holiday has modest beginnings. The Singles share a meal with friends who also get unattached while they enjoy a feast of the deeper-fried twisted dough sticks known as youtiao. Whenever Alibaba took hold of the Day and trademarked them as Double 11 in 2012, the popularity soared during the Day. Recently, Single’s Day had a record-shattering shopping day, the largest in the world, with Chinese consumers splurging on various items.
So, what is the popularity of Single’s Day? Alibaba is racking up billions of sales in 24 hours, which is highly successful. Imagine six million products from 40,000 merchants in a single day.
Bare Sticks Holiday Is Used As a Proposal Occasion
8. Single’s Day has taken a greater meaning. Several singles are marking the Day as their chance to bid farewell to their single life. They are spending the Day that mingles with people who pick and purchase the best gift for people who wish to woo by going on dating parties and blind dates. It is even considered personal success whenever someone finds their partner on Single’s Day.
9. Singles Day transformed into a shopping holiday. Jack Ma, CEO of Alibaba, instituted the initial Singles Day sales in 2009, laying the foundation for the global top-ranking grossing shopping day of that time of the year.
10. Biggest sales matching Black Friday. People often mention November as the month of the commercial and discount offerings due to the massive number of shopping seasons interspersed with it. It reportedly involves the most significant sales recorded, such as Single’s Day, with the sales closer to Black Friday, which comes at the end of the month, specifically on 26.11. It is when shopping sites announce massive exclusive discounts on all types of products that prompt shoppers to make greater decisions on their purchases.
11. It has a dual significance. Singles Day is celebrated as a mark of singlehood. On the other hand, various people mark it as the end of their singlehood. They start to check out for soulmates and decide to end their single status. There are incredibly lavish associates with exquisite gifts, while a few take the opportunity to propose for marriage.
12. Sparkles meet the comfort. Shoppers always yearn for little luxuries with the end-of-year celebrations just around the corner. So the search interest for the last year on products such as “earrings” and “cufflinks” rose by 95% and 75%, respectively, leading up to Singles’ Day. It is comfortable and stylish and also en vogue.
The search interest for the relaxed fit grew by about 100%, with the tracksuit increased by 25%. The choices for footwear are also leaning towards more casual ones, with the search interest for “espadrille” rising by 35%.
13. The chance to meet the like-minded singles. The pandemic has changed our lives. There are several limitations to meeting new people. Furthermore, meeting with new people with the same visions and interests. Therefore, try out the better way, for instance, from different dating agencies, and they will start screening matches.
14. Promotes self-gifting. You can get a gift, and splurging on yourself is great for the time being. However, allow customers to know that you value them irrespective of the relationship status. There is a greater possibility that you might never hear of. The 11/11 inspires you to use the obscure holiday to help with sales. If you are entirely on board, you can browse the virtual aisles of the online shopping world.
Singles Day Is a Dream-Come-True-Day
15. You get to do whatever you want. What would you have for dinner tonight? Where would you head out on vacation? Can you splurge on the jeans you have been eying on? You can get done whatever makes you happen if you are single. No compromises are required.
16. You are not alone. Several magazines, newspapers, movies, and TV shows make it appear like everyone who gets coupled up. However, it is noted that since 2014, single adults have outnumbered married adults in the US, and the key difference is only growing. So take your time today to revel in the knowledge that you, a single person, become part of the absolute majority.
17. You are shopping for yourself. Indeed, it is fun to get gifts on your birthday, Hanukkah and Christmas; however, how does a person know what they need? Today, you can shop for yourself while we are not discussing purchasing a nice set of flowers or a nice meal. Today is the Day you should show some love and appreciation to yourself. Start indulging. Get your new leather jacket or a fancy wine club membership you earned for yourself.
18. The trend of live streaming with virtual influencers. Several B2C brands are leveraging virtual influencers to attract novelty-seeking and digital-savvy younger consumers, as they cost less human talent while reducing their exposure to the risks such as celebrity scandals.
19. A day for “You” & “Me”. The holiday season is wonderful because it reminds us about our friends, families, and loved ones. The holiday tradition involves gift-giving, events, and celebrations, often geared toward kids, families, moms, dads, etc. It is easier to overlook a group of singles. Chinese people have identified it as “Singles’ Day,” which is a mode of showing their pride in their single status.
20. Majority of the shoppers are female. Although there are all, who try catching up with the discounts and offers by the shopping sites on Singles’ Day, women are the most shopped category due to their greater passion. It follows the latest trends in fashion, increasing their brilliance and the ease of making the right purchases from their smartphones, as most of them are associated with responsibility. Others might distract them from heading for the regular shopping stores or the ability of a couple of them to bear the entire cost of every purchase. It is mainly the international brands, so we locate that every shopping site is interested in offering massive discounts on this Day.
21. Bigger Singles’ Day Sale offering 90% off. The Chinese online shopping sites get considered as most of the sites aiming and relying on the “11.11” Singles’ Day offering greater attractions to the customers. It also provides massive downloads of about 90% and not being limited to specific products. Therefore, it is the best time to start shopping from the sites, deriving the advantage of the more significant discount rates with the potential discount coupons.
22. AliExpress becomes the frequently visited site. Every shopping site impatiently waits for Singles Day to reap the highest profits; however, the “AliExpress” site is the best one in this regard. It records the top rate of visitation through which the most successful purchases are made due to several offerings and discounts offered on this Day. Additionally, the effective discount codes on Ali Express with every purchase on the site are given to shoppers with varied requirements wishing to save and get their assets at their lowest prices. It is what they are finding on the site of AliExpress.
Cross-Border Sales Go Big On Singles Day
23. Encourages cross-border sales. Cross-border sales across China stay extremely promising with the maturing Chinese consumers who are intensely searching for imported products. In addition, some global players are successfully marketing their brands and products to Chinese consumers through the China online ecosystem and enjoying massive growth.
24. Better opportunities for international brands. The Double 11 or Singles’ Day has become an unmatched opportunity for international brands to engage with loyal customers to develop new and dedicated product launches and gain more significant customer insights. Blurring the lines between entertainment and shopping, social media platforms adopt the more essential elements of social commerce and promotions into their offerings. In this environment, the innovative use of a faceless video generator allows brands to create engaging content while maintaining privacy and focusing on product features.
25. Builds better trade momentum around the year. It is noted that timing involves everything, which is exceptionally accurate when considering the annual promotional calendars on Tmall in China. For different brands that sell across Tmall, the massive trading peak occurs around the brands and Singles’ Day, expecting to make about 30% of the total yearly revenues in the months that lead to November 11.
26. Australia stays ahead on the shopping bonanza bandwagon. There are Australian companies who have jumped onto the shopping bonanza bandwagon targeting the Chinese shoppers last year who reportedly spent more than $1 billion on Australian goods in the event of the initial 24 hours.
27. Everyone bursts into the celebration spree. Students celebrated Singles Day by going to the Karaoke bars and eating youtiao, the fried dough strips resembling the number one. Initially, the holiday was marked only by Chinese male students; however, it was when women started to partake in this fun.
28. Meeting the Like-minded singles. The entire pandemic has changed entire lives, indeed. However, there are several limitations and restrictions, with greater challenges to meeting new people. Furthermore, meeting new people with the same visions and interests is alluring. Therefore, instead of wasting time on the potential ways, try the better methods for dating agencies. They will screen and help you find the best match!
29. We generally know it as the Double 11. Chinese Guanggun Jie is from where the English name Singles Day came up; however, the Day is known explicitly as Shuang Shiyi or the “Double 11”, after the date where November 11 was written like 11/11 conjuring the entire image of the four singletons or the leafless trees. The term guanggun means bare branches or single men. Taobao even launched a different Guanggun Jie shopping event on their distinctive value app, running till Singles Day. Generally, the past month had become a sensory overload for online shoppers.
30. Singles’ Day got started by the lonely college guys. Singles’ Day was conceived innocently reputedly enough in the dorm room at Nanjing University in 1993 by about four male students searching to liven up their isolated lives with fun group activities for singles eating youtiao and KTV-ing. The idea rapidly grew into a nationwide tradition for the younger singles, who were undoubtedly spurred by the overabundance of China for the younger generation.
31. Alibaba transformed Singles’ Day into Cyber Monday. A few imbue Valentine’s Day for the singles, with the Chinese aspect being the post-Deng China. In 2009, Alibaba searched for a new way to enhance sales during the commercial lull between the Chinese New Year and the October Holidays. As a result, it seized during Singles’ Day, prominent with their main user base of the internet-savvy balinghou as their marketing stunt that had convinced 27 merchants the discount their goods across Tmall.
32. They achieved the race to RMB10 billion. Singles’ Day has witnessed phenomenal yearly growth. In recent years they have made it a point to celebrate specific gross merchandise volumes attaining the benchmarks of RMB10 billion. It took Alibaba seven whole minutes to reach that mark; meanwhile, in the other year, the time was divided to over 3 minutes in 2016. It took about 125 seconds to get the mark of RMB10 billion, and last year we witnessed the GMV hits during the initial target of 96 seconds in 2018.
33. Smartphones helping boost the future of online sales. The report published by the research firms noted that Chinese mobile users are spending about 6.2 hours daily online on their mobile devices, which adds up to about 1.8 days every week. Data was compiled from the start of 2019 to the end of November, showing an 11.3% increase throughout a similar period. China’s 1.56 billion active smartphones have driven incredible growth in revenue in e-commerce, with an increasing number of people living in rural China joining the blowout of online shopping.
Singles’ Day Is Not One Day Anymore
34. Singles’ Day does not imply one Day anymore. 11/11 is identical to the building up of Christmas that starts each year; therefore, some sites start to allure the customers by advertising the discounts in the following weeks to the primary Day. This year, we check out people going to significant leaps earning product coupons during Double 11. It is reported that shoppers compete on in-app mini-games for every deal in the weeks leading up to the shopping bonanzas. One college student admitted to spending four to five hours raising virtual cats on the phone each Day.
35. There are greater copycats abroad. There is greater success for Alibaba’s bigger shopping festivals with other countries and platforms adopting their marketing ploys. 11.11 inspired events such as 9.9, 10.10, and 12.12 with Southeast Asian countries that pushed out for online shopping events to help the economies recover amid the pandemic.
36. logistics have a huge role. The number of parcels processed in the province is anticipated to hit the 900 million mark in Guangdong alone this year. As a result, an additional 150,000 temporary kuaidi guys have been hired to help handle the uptick in their deliveries.
37. Luxury brands are purchased. This year, we have noted that premium brands like Prada, Valentino, Balenciaga, and Cartier are launching campaigns where shoppers score exclusive gifts and items with free payment plans. However, you should only expect discounts and coupons from these brands as it is for affordable luxury brands, including Michael Kors and Coach.
38. Massive space for the mobile wallets. Alibaba is trying to expand into its mobile wallet space aggressively. The company had created an Alipay payment medium. However, it is never popular with Alibaba shoppers. Therefore, to increase the early adoption of Alipay, Alibaba offered significant discounts across Singles Day. Payments through Alipay get accepted online and offline. The last outcome is that the singles day helps Alibaba attain a more substantial foothold in significantly other business lines.
39. Alibaba imposed a few massive investments. Alibaba has invested significantly in ancillary services, including the delivery platform. The platform exclusively caters to Alibaba, valued at a whopping $30 billion. After the sales of Alibaba skyrocketed during the time of Singles’ Day, they had to get the orders done for delivery platforms. As an outcome, the valuation over the delivery platform skyrockets.
40. It has an international touch. After the retailers have accepted that the bigger Day is just meant for the singles, they need to understand better the opportunity, which is never limited to the Chinese companies who sell into this domestic market. 22,000 international brands and retailers participated in the world’s largest Day for eCommerce sales.
41. It is the exclusive shopping for entertainment. The shoppers who celebrate becoming single, eCommerce day has become synonymous with the findings of better deals online and discovering the latest products and brands throughout technology, household, fashion, and auto. There are audiences beyond shopping, turning them into another mode of entertainment.
42. Gamification on the rise. About 800 million shoppers in 2020 participated in Singles’ Day and got attracted to more than 250,000 brands. It means that the retailers and brands wish to stand out and demonstrate their creativity in the campaigns while they get lost during this shuffle.
43. Singles’ Day is a new road to innovative retail experiences. Singles’ Day in Chinese indicates whether the global retail landscape will appear the same. It supports the buying bonanza across the mobile-first, cross-channel marketing atmosphere. The innovations, including contactless stores, experiential pop-ups, and AR and QR code technologies, should be considered in this trailblazing retail trend for the early adopters across China, which are the mainstream norm now.
44. Singles’ Day has become bigger than Cyber Monday & Black Friday. 11/11 is the date selected for its symbolic nature of the number 1 and with the combination of the four ones when November 11 is numerically written. Initially, the number 1 resembled the stick used in Chinese internet slang, referring to unmarried men who never add any branches to their family tree.
Singles Day Is a Cultural Phenomenon
45. It symbolizes the cultural event. Singles’ Day has appeared to represent cultural events. Alibaba had hosted larger celebratory festivals the night before it became the biggest shopping event featuring global celebrities, including Nicole Kidman in 2017, Taylor Swift at Alibaba’s Shanghai gala in 2019, and Katty Perry, who performed in the Livestream in 2020. However, it is not the shopping event but the holiday marking the Day when people partied to socialize, meet with others, and practice the traditions celebrating the singles life.
46. Unbelievable amount of baby formula got sold. Baby products are expensive, so whenever the sale comes around, parents ensure to stock up sufficient to feed generations of the future child. So it was back in 2014 when about half a million cans of baby formula got sold on 11.11. It was enough to start feeding every two-year-old infant in China for a couple of weeks.
48. More than 3 million people handled orders in 2020. Alibaba is the leader in generating 11.11 sales, working with the logistics arms, Cainiao, for chartering 3000 flights with long-haul cargo ships delivering goods directly to China. About 3 million people from Cainiao get involved in ensuring the logistics operate smoothly. For example, it uses about 10,000 mobile lockers to avoid human contact whenever customers pick up their parcels.
49. People use Singles’ Day to mark the end of their single lives. Irrespective of the massive dent in the shoppers’ credit cards, the sentiments working behind Singles’ Day did not get lost. For years, the cultural meaning of holidays evolved for a couple of other opportunities to bid farewell to the single life. Several younger people are there celebrating Singles’ Day by heading for blind dates by attending karaoke dating parties to attempt to woo their partners into buying the ideal gift. In addition, more weddings are being held on 11/11 than on any other day of the year.
50. Singles’ Day attains global recognition. Are you turning in a bit of green-reading about every amazing sale across China? Is there a case regarding FOMO that kicks into complete gear? You should be confident since Alibaba is working hard to extend Singles’ Day deals beyond China. So you should start hitting the gym now while your credit card is about to get the challenging workout done.
You should be fluent in retail therapies, but are you affluent in Mandarin? Did you try one of the lessons yet in the Mandarin or Chinese course? Celebrating Singles’ Day is possible by diving into Chinese culture and language.
Final Thoughts
You must have visibility into several massive global shopping holidays of great essence, like the brand or a retailer like Amazon. It will aid you in keeping the pulse across the greater e-commerce industry by understanding the varied consumer trends you witness and applying them to your operation. About 78% of Americans are aware of the Singles’ Day plans to participate in the holidays this year.
Singles’ Day scales rapidly, and the main role is played by Alibaba, the other Chinese e-commerce retailer establishing the stake in this game. A couple of brands have seen about two months of sales across China over the 24 hours course across Singles Day in the past that sells in China, which is often an opportunity worth pursuing if you have already established a better business.
