What is 11.11 Singles Day?

11.11 Singles Day is believed to have begun in the 90s, when a group of university students declared that 11 November would be a day to celebrate being single. Students would buy themselves gifts to mark the occasion. The trend then spread to other universities.

Chinese e-commerce giant, Alibaba, launched its first shopping event on that day in 2009, offering consumers heavy discounts on its Tmall platform.

Other Chinese e-commerce companies then followed suit, marking the event with their own campaigns and promotions, and ultimately helping to propel 11.11 Singles Day to become the world’s largest shopping festival.

Rather than one day, discounts and ‘pre-sales’ promotions now span several weeks — and preparations for the event begin months in advance. 

Much like with Black Friday and Cyber Monday in the West, brands rely on 11.11 Singles Day to drive their revenue figures as they enter the last part of the year. Consumers also hold off purchasing products in anticipation of the heavy discounts and promotions that have become synonymous with the occasion.

Take a look below to see how much the Double 11 shopping festival has grown since its inception in 2009: