Last year’s Alibaba’s Singles’ Day generated a record $103 billion in sales. Japan retained its position as the number one overseas market selling into China and Australia scored a number four ranking after the US and South Korea.
More than 2000 Australian businesses took part in the world’s largest online shopping event in 2020, racking up over more than $1 billion in sales.
The 2021 iteration of Singles’ Day will be the biggest ever. A record 290,000 brands have signed up and Tmall will be offering 14 million deals to over 900 million Chinese consumers.
Again, there will be two main sales windows – November 1 to 3 and November 11, the main day of the colossal consumer extravaganza.
Livestreaming has become a major focus of Singles’ Day and from last week and throughout the event, Taobao Live will showcase 700 leading KOLs, celebrities and brand representatives in livestream sessions. A new feature for this year will allow users to share their “shopping cart” with friends and family to make the shopping experience more social.
Tmall is upping its green credentials with a dedicated vertical highlighting energy-efficient and low-impact products. The platform is also issuing RMB 100 million (AUD$21 million) worth of “green” vouchers to incentivise shoppers to buy more eco-friendly products from beauty to electronics.
China has the largest percentage of people aged over 60 in the world. This year’s Singles’ Day will have a “senior mode” option on the Taobao app, which offers voice-assisted technology, simpler navigation and larger font size and icons.
Giving back has also become a major trend for Chinese companies and businesses. Alibaba’s Goods for Good program debuted in 2006. The initiative allows merchants to donate a percentage of their sales to charitable causes of their choice. This year’s Singles’ Day festival will support three major beneficiary sectors – elderly citizens living alone, children who have remained in rural areas in the care of family and friends while their parents work in major cities and low-income groups.