Singles’ Day (or Double 11 Festival) is the biggest 24-hour online shopping festival in the world—a day ecommerce CEOs cannot afford to miss. For some brands, one hour of sales during Singles’ Day drives more revenue than all of Black Friday sales (24 hours).

As a global ecommerce expert, Pattern has seen the impact Singles’ Day has on brands selling on Tmall and understands the opportunity for brands who have yet to expand into China. Since any brand who is selling products in Asia has the chance to participate in Singles’ Day, it is important to understand the holiday's background:

The History Behind Singles’ Day

Originated in China, Singles’ Day is the 11th of November (annual event). The date was nominated by students in 1993 as a day to celebrate singledom or “anti-Valentine’s Day” in China. 11.11 was selected due to the symbolic nature of the number one, and shoppers were encouraged to celebrate and be proud of their single relationship status by treating themselves to self-purchases.

Alibaba spotted an opportunity to leverage this event by turning Singles’ Day into a national shopping holiday that lasts more than just one day. The first shopping festival was in 2009.  In collaboration with a handful of brands, the sales surpassed the average daily GMV in 2009 by almost seven-fold. For over a decade, the shopping event has broken sales figure records year-over-year.

International Brands’ Opportunity During Singles’ Day

Singles’ Day, or Double 11 Festival, has become an unmatched opportunity for international brands to:

• Engage with loyal customers
• Drop new and dedicated product launches
• Gain data and deep consumer insights
• Expand their international presence

The popularity continues to grow. In 2022, during the 18-day period of the Double 11 festival, 1,009 Tmall Global brands’ GMV more than doubled year-over-year. Alibaba builds up excitement for the shopping on Singles’ Day through various platforms such as: social media, promotions, live streaming, gamification, site or app new features; providing new, simple ways for brands to engage with loyal customers. Live streaming and gamification, with the use of influencers or Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), have become increasingly popular methods to drive brand awareness and boost demand generation before, during, and after the event as well.

How to Qualify For Singles’ Day

Singles’ Day is a massive opportunity for both sellers and consumers on Tmall. Registering and participating in the event is fairly simple, a brand needs to have the right resources, advertising strategy, fulfillment/inventory plans, and logistics set up to deliver. Taking your brand global may be daunting, but once your brand is established on Tmall or other marketplaces in Asia, the right trade partner can make it a seamless and simple process to participate in the sales event.

Pattern Manages Brands’ Success on Singles’ Day and Beyond

As the world’s foremost brand partner on marketplaces worldwide, Pattern understands the benefits of international expansion and the real opportunities available to accelerate your brand. We analyze trends to help brands thrive on Singles’ Day and continue their sales momentum throughout the year. Our resources include regional experts, international marketplace knowledge, global and marketplace-specific data, customer service, and more.

‍Contact us today to learn how we can help your brand prepare for Singles’ Day and succeed on all digital marketplaces in Asia.