Key points:
- Singles Day started as an anti-Valentine's day event where single people would celebrate themselves
- $84.54 billion was made in eCommerce sales during Singles Day 2021
- Over 500 million people shopped through Alibaba’s C2C eCommerce platform on Singles Day 2021
- Singles Day is China’s biggest shopping day of the year
So you may have heard about Alibaba Singles Day and you’re wondering what it’s all about. That’s no surprise. Online shopping and Singles Day sales are pretty popular topics around this time of year. In this article, we’ll give some background on what Alibaba Singles Day is, why it’s a highly talked about event, and share some interesting stats.
Table of Contents
What is Alibaba Singles Day?
If you’re wondering “what is China Singles Day” or what’s Alibaba Singles Day all about then you’re not alone. Singles Day is an event that is celebrated on the 11th of November. The idea originally came from China and started as an anti-Valentine's day event where single people would take the day to celebrate and treat themselves as couples do on Valentine's day. From this, Singles Day has become China’s biggest online shopping day where more revenue has been made than any other day in the year. It was in 2009 that the huge commerce giant Alibaba drew a connection between Singles Day and online shopping and started to generate more sales through promotions. In 2021 a whopping $84.54 billion was made from Alibaba’s eCommerce platforms thanks to Singles Day sales. Approximately 505.8 million people purchased through Taobao which is Alibaba’s C2C eCommerce platform, and around 10.99 million shoppers purchased from Alibaba's B2C platform Tmall.
Fun fact: The date 11/11 was chosen as the numbers resemble four lonely sticks/singles.
How Does Singles Day Differ From Black Friday?
Black Friday is another big shopping event where huge discounts and impressive markdowns are offered. However, Black Friday is not as big as Singles Day for a few reasons. One is that Singles Day is mainly an online shopping event where people all around the world can get involved and order from one of Alibaba’s eCommerce platforms. Black Friday is more of an American event and it seems that most of the great Black Friday deals are offered in-store rather than online. As you can imagine, this causes a huge increase in traffic in stores and the event can be very chaotic. Not all retailers offering Black Friday deals offer international shipping so a lot of people are missing out. This means that anyone shopping for Black Friday deals internationally is likely to be left disappointed as they’ve not been able to participate in the event.
How Can eCommerce Merchants Be Prepared for Singles Day?
The main thing that eCommerce users expect from Singles Day is great discounts and amazing offers that aren’t usually up for grabs. By participating in Singles Day, the chances are that you will reach a whole new market of customers. If you can keep customers happy and ensure they have a great experience, then it’s likely that they will return to you again and again. Prepare early by deciding what discounts you are going to offer on each category of product that you sell, look at what competitors have offered in the past and consider free gifts. Everybody loves a freebie, so offering a gift with each purchase as well as a discount will really help you to stand out amongst other businesses and excite your customers. If you want to take your eCommerce business global, then it’s really important to spend some time doing your research.
Here are some things to remember when preparing for Singles Day:
- Offer discounts on as many different categories as you can, this way no one misses out on a great deal, and your offers will be available to each type of customer
- Remember to ensure your store is optimized for mobile so customers can easily make a purchase from their phone as well as from a computer
- Focus on customer service. Customers want to be able to easily reach out if they have any questions about a product or an order they have placed. Ensure you have different methods of contact, including a help section, email, and live chat if possible
- As previously mentioned, Singles Day is the biggest in China, so tap into the Chinese market and take your business to the next level globally and watch those sales roll in
Related post: Black Friday Free Shipping
How to Offer a Range of Shipping Options
Shipping is key to growth. No one wants to wait weeks for their package to arrive. It’s easy for orders to stack up during a busy period such as Singles Day, but it’s important to plan ahead and see what shipping options you can offer your customers so you can ship your goods on time. For this, you need a shipping partner such as Easyship. With Easyship you can sync your store in minutes and get instant access to over 250 global couriers. Use Easyship’s free shipping calculator to compare the cheapest, fastest, and most convenient shipping options so your customers can choose the best delivery option for them. For extra peace of mind, there is also an option to add insurance at checkout so your package is protected from damage and loss up to $10,000.
Your Alibaba Singles Day Shipping Strategy
When it comes to shipping from Alibaba, there are three different shipping options to choose from. Ocean Freight, Air Parcels, and Air Express. There is also an option for courier service but if you’re ordering in bulk, this can be quite costly. As with every shipping service, Alibaba shipping costs vary in price and estimated delivery time. Ocean Freight is a good option for bulk orders as it is lower in cost which means you can have a bigger profit margin. Even though Ocean Freight is a low-cost option, it has one of the longest delivery wait times. Alibaba Air Parcels is a popular option when shipping from China to another country worldwide. The cost of shipping is generally higher as the delivery time is shorter. Lastly, there’s Air Express, which is a shipping method from China to the US. The delivery time for this service is between 5-7 working days on average. The wait time can be estimated easier than the other options as with this option you can only ship to the USA.
As always, you should get a shipping quote first for each order as the shipping service available to you will always depend on the country you’re shipping to, the weight and size of the package, and the delivery time. Check out Easyship’s free shipping calculator to see how you can save money on your shipping.
How Long Does Singles Day Sales Last?
The Singles Day event lasts for two weeks, ending on November 11th. During these two weeks, suppliers on Alibaba will typically offer different sales and promotions to grab the attention of not only Chinese consumers but anyone that shops with Alibaba.
With Easyship, you can compare shipping options from the cheapest, and fastest to the best value. Easyship can help you get ahead by managing all your shipments from one easy-to-use dashboard. Track your shipments at any time, give your customers the option to add insurance to products for peace of mind, and view any taxes and duty fees upfront. Easyship also has warehouse partners on four continents to reach customers worldwide. Plus, Easyship helps scale up fulfillment capabilities without increasing overhead costs.
Ready to ship? Sign up for a FREE Easyship account today and you’ll get instant access to discounts on major couriers
Alibaba's Single's Day FAQ
What is Singles Day in China?
Singles Day is the biggest shopping event of the year in China
When is Alibaba Singles Day 2022?
Singles Day will be held on November 11th
