China-Origin ★ Alibaba's "Singles' Day" Becomes Grand Entertainment Event, Focusing on Global Corporate Participation

Alibaba, China's largest e-commerce company, held its annual massive sales event "Double 11" on November 11th, known in China as "Singles' Day." It achieved a total transaction volume of $14.3 billion within 24 hours.

This year's seventh iteration took place amid China's economic growth rate falling to its lowest level in six years. However, according to Ad Age, sales surpassed last year's total ($9.3 billion) within just half a day after the midnight start, ultimately recording a 60% year-on-year increase. By device type, transactions via mobile devices increased, accounting for approximately 68% of the total transaction value. Last year, this figure was about 43%.

Alibaba branded this year's event the "Global Shopping Festival," focusing on expanding overseas brands. Participants included P&G, Unilever, Estée Lauder, GAP, and ZARA. Overall, approximately 30,000 brands were sold by about 40,000 retailers.

Looking at the sales rankings, Chinese companies dominated the top spots: smartphone maker Xiaomi took first place, telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies came in second, and electronics retailer Suning Commerce Group ranked third. Uniqlo placed fourth, topping the apparel category and ranking highest among international brands. Other notable entries included Denmark's clothing retailer Jack & Jones at 12th place and Nike at 16th.

However, participating brands face pressure to offer significant discounts during "Double 11," leading to stagnant profit growth despite increased sales volume. While some view it as beneficial for brand recognition—such as German supermarket chain Metro Cash & Carry explaining, "It's true we're cutting into profits, but there are advantages like deepening customer understanding"—others see it as an unsuitable promotional platform.

Double 11 began in 2009 as an event initiated by Alibaba, inspired by Singles' Day, as a day for people to buy themselves a "treat." It has now become a nationwide festival. This year featured a countdown event where actors Daniel Craig and Kevin Spacey joined founder Jack Ma on stage, and Stormtroopers from the Star Wars films marched, adding a grand entertainment aspect. In addition to JD.com (Jingdong), China's second-largest e-commerce company, Walmart's online shopping site "Yihaodian" and Amazon China also held sales.

Stormtroopers appearing at the "Double 11" event (Credit: Alibaba Weibo)

Source: Ad Age
Alibaba Is Transforming Its E-Commerce Fest Into Actual Entertainment
Five Lessons From Alibaba's Record-Crushing $14.3 Billion E-Commerce Sale