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Singles' Day (11.11)

Latest news and updates on China’s Singles’ Day, which is the world’s largest online shopping festival. Held on November 11 every year, the annual event is seen by many as an important barometer for economic health. In 2019, online shoppers in China spent a whopping 410 billion yuan (US$60.4 billion) in 24 hours – double what Amazon generates in an entire month.

last updated:

9 September, 2024

Smartphones

Huawei’s Mate 70 sales affected by ‘modest’ chip, no Android support: analysts

Mate 70 smartphone sales are expected to reach 3 million units this fourth quarter, according to TechInsights.

1 Dec 2024 - 4:16PM

Apple

Apple’s Cook makes third trip to China in 2024 amid iPhone slump

25 Nov 2024 - 3:04PM

Smartphones

Apple’s iPhone sales fall during China’s Singles’ Day shopping festival: report

21 Nov 2024 - 6:00PM

E-commerce

Southeast Asia is the new Singles’ Day battleground as lustre fades in China

Promotions from Chinese e-commerce platforms are infiltrating people’s lives across the region, where e-commerce is seeing explosive growth.

18 Nov 2024 - 12:13PM

A TikTok Shop Singles’ Day ad flashes across a large LED screen in on the streets of Bangkok. Photo: Wency Chen

E-commerce

Alibaba, JD.com claim big win in Singles’ Day sales as consumption picks up pace

The two e-commerce giants reported a large number of active buyers in this year’s edition of the world’s largest annual shopping festival.

13 Nov 2024 - 12:58AM

E-commerce

Alibaba sees Singles’ Day campaign pay off with strong sales in major categories

The top-performing product categories for Alibaba’s Singles’ Day campaign were home appliances, consumer electronics, beauty and apparel.

12 Nov 2024 - 1:37AM

Alibaba

Alibaba gives sellers a sweeter deal as Singles’ Day switch-up bears fruit

China’s largest e-commerce firm was slipping in the war for consumers’ wallets. Then it reshaped its relationship with merchants.

9 Nov 2024 - 2:17PM

Alibaba

Alibaba’s Black Friday alternative hits US with AliExpress Singles’ Day sales

Alibaba’s international e-commerce platform is kicking off Singles’ Day sales in the US on Friday and runs through November 18.

4 Nov 2024 - 8:09PM

Smartphones

China smartphone market on track to post first annual sales growth in five years

Domestic smartphone sales rose 2.3 per cent year on year in the September quarter, reinforcing market forecasts of a low single-digit increase in 2024.

29 Oct 2024 - 7:00PM

Alibaba

Alibaba’s Singles’ Day sales see strong demand for designer toys, pet products

Popular merchandise this year include niche products like Jellycat, a British soft toy brand that is gaining popularity among young Chinese.

29 Oct 2024 - 5:30PM

An ad for a Tmall Singles’ Day shopping carnival is broadcast at a subway station in Shanghai, October 15, 2024. Photo: CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images

China's economic recovery

China counts on sales season to coax cautious consumers into spending spree

Singles’ Day – China’s largest retail event – began early this year, prompting record courier activity as consumers pounce on deals.

25 Oct 2024 - 9:00PMvideocam

China’s biggest shopping season, Singles’ Day, began early this year to drive spending in a weak period for consumer confidence. Photo: VCG via Getty Images

E-commerce

Alibaba starts Singles’ Day direct sales, with strong demand for Apple products

The encouraging start to Singles’ Day sales for the country’s largest online retail platforms augurs well for consumer spending on the mainland.

22 Oct 2024 - 7:53PM

Apple

Apple’s iPhone 16 sees further price cuts as part of Singles’ Day promotions

Alibaba’s Tmall, JD.com and Pinduoduo introduced further iPhone 16 discounts as part of their respective Singles’ Day campaigns.

22 Oct 2024 - 2:07AM

E-commerce

JD.com issues apology to customers after Singles’ Day campaign sparks backlash

The adverse reaction to stand-up comedian Yang Li shows that JD.com underestimated how she is constantly targeted by male internet users.

18 Oct 2024 - 10:36PM

Chinese female stand-up comedian Yang Li’s Single’s Day collaboration with JD.com triggered an online backlash. Photo: Handout

E-commerce

Alibaba sees double-digit sales growth for Singles’ Day in Hong Kong

The rosy prediction comes on the back of a US$142-million promotion that waives delivery fees on certain orders for Taobao users in the city.

18 Oct 2024 - 8:30AM

Alibaba

Alibaba’s new Singles’ Day focus: protecting sellers from price wars

The e-commerce giant aims to root out ‘ineffective involution’ after Beijing warned against a race to the bottom in price and quality.

17 Oct 2024 - 6:00PM

E-commerce

Alibaba, JD.com, Pinduoduo kick-start Singles’ Day promotions on same day

The e-commerce rivals’ respective promotions look to benefit from healthier consumer spending on the back of Beijing’s stimulus measures.

14 Oct 2024 - 8:29PM

Alibaba

Alibaba prepares US$5.7 billion war chest for Singles’ Day merchants

Taobao and Tmall plan to give out 30 billion yuan in consumer vouchers and use 10 billion yuan worth of resources to boost traffic amid e-commerce competition.

26 Sep 2024 - 7:00AMvideocam

E-commerce

Alibaba, Xiaohongshu boost sales in midyear shopping festival

Alibaba’s midyear shopping promotion has it going head-to-head with younger e-commerce competitors such as Xiaohongshu, China’s answer to Instagram.

15 Jun 2024 - 8:00AM

E-commerce

Pinduoduo heats up online price war during China’s 618 shopping festival

The budget shopping platform’s new ‘automated price-tracking system’ will enable merchants to swiftly adjust the cost of goods online during the 618 shopping festival.

1 Jun 2024 - 10:00AM

E-commerce

JD.com founder’s avatar debuts as host of live-streaming sessions in AI push

Richard Liu Qiangdong’s avatar is expected to host more live-streaming shows in the future, as JD.com touted that its AI-powered virtual streamers cover more than 4,000 brands.

17 Apr 2024 - 7:01AMvideocam

Alibaba

Alibaba reorients business, rejigs overhaul after catalogue of mistakes

Alibaba scales back an ambitious business overhaul plan and bids farewell to a turbulent year, as its founders call on employees to embrace changes.

17 Apr 2024 - 5:27PM

Alibaba recalibrates after a year of changes. Illustration: Henry Wong

E-commerce

JD.com, Alibaba’s Taobao push ‘refund only’ policy to rival Pinduoduo’s strategy

The two e-commerce giants are taking a leaf out of the playbook of budget online retailer Pinduoduo, which has had that policy in place since 2021.

28 Dec 2023 - 10:30PM

E-commerce

China’s e-commerce recovery brings parcel deliveries to nearly 100 a person

Parcel deliveries reached a new high of 120 billion items this week, up 8.5 per cent from all of 2022, as e-commerce sees strong third-quarter recovery.

5 Dec 2023 - 3:00PMvideocam

Smartphones

Huawei’s Singles’ Day smartphone sales boost sentiment for strong fourth quarter

China’s smartphone market saw a 5 per cent bump in sales volume during the Singles’ Day shopping festival, driven by demand for handsets from local tech champion Huawei.

28 Nov 2023 - 12:50PM

A woman compares the iPhone 15 Pro and Huawei Technologies' Mate 60 Pro at an Apple Store in Shanghai on September 22, 2023. Photo: Reuters

E-commerce

JD.com removes veteran from retail CEO role days after Singles’ Day

JD.com CEO Sandy Xu Ran will take over leadership of JD Retail from Xin Lijun, the company announced on Wednesday.

16 Nov 2023 - 9:00PM

Xin Lijun, former CEO of JD Retail. Photo: Bloomberg

E-commerce

JD.com beats revenue estimates after discounts lure frugal shoppers

JD.com revenue rose 1.7 per cent to US$34.2 billion in the three months through September amid a price war with Alibaba and PDD.

15 Nov 2023 - 7:09PMvideocam

Huawei

Huawei scrambles to boost production of Mate 60 5G smartphones to meet demand

The current production capacity for Huawei’s Mate 60 Pro 5G smartphone cannot meet demand, resulting in wait time for orders of up to three months.

14 Nov 2023 - 9:00PM

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