How to shop online on China’s Singles Day

Image Credit: 538

For everyone else in the world, November 11 is just a normal day.

In China, it has become the biggest online shopping day of the year. In fact, Singles Day 2014 blew Cyber Monday and Black Friday out of the water. Last year, consumers spent US$5.7 billion on Alibaba’s shopping platforms, and another US$1.6 billion on Jingdong, all in just 24 hours.

If you ask any single Chinese person over the age of 23 what the first thing is on their wish list, they’ll tell you that it is to settle down. Strangely, before 23, our parents are strongly against us having relationships, but as soon as we finish college, our parents are anxious for us to settle down. I was able to escape the madness when I was 23 by leaving China and going to Ireland.

Phew… but my mom still nags even though we’re thousands of miles away.

Where did “Double Eleven Singles Day” come from?

The number “1” looks like a stick, and in China, single people are called “sticks”. That is why “11.11” best represents single people in China and that’s why November 11 is called Singles Day. Due to a large number of single people in China, November 11 has been an excuse for single, young people to break free of the loneliness of single life and get together to have dinner or karaoke. It can also be an awkward day for single people who are forced to go on arranged blind dates.

Alibaba recognized that it was a popular holiday and launched its first Singles Day online sale in 2009 and trademarked “Double Eleven” in 2012. It has completely changed the tradition of Singles Day activities.

This new holiday is now an opportunity for single people to treat themselves to online shopping.

Why Chinese people spend more money online shopping on Singles Day

Singles Day is very similar to Black Friday or Cyber Monday in the U.S. with everything being on sale. Only bigger.

Singles Day online shopping isn’t restricted to single people either. Big sales and promotions take place from November 10 at 11:59 pm all the way to November 12 at 11:59. The sales are a mystery–they are unlocked at 11:59pm on November 1o so people have no idea how big the discount is until that time. The more you buy, the more discounts you get.

Some brands even start a pre-sale before Singles Day and consumers are able to pay small amounts of deposit to secure the deals. Imagine Walmart being open on Thanksgiving Day, with a layaway option.

The fact that Chinese people tend to go with the flow really helps boost the Double Eleven Singles Day online shopping. For example, we tend to take it for granted when a dress is on sale for 50 percent off on a regular day in the physical store, while the exact same dress with the same discount on an online store on Double Eleven Singles Day is very likely to be sold out quickly. Everyone is buying online on Double Eleven and nobody wants to be left out and miss the deals. Double Eleven Singles Day online shopping in 2015 is expected to reach $10 billion within just 24 hours!

How to prepare for Singles Day

There is only one word to describe shopping online on Singles Day – stealing! But you have to act fast! On November 11th, there will be over two billion Chinese people logging on to Tmall at the same time. Even with over 27,000 domestic and global sellers participating, the stocks are not able to meet so many buyers’ needs. If you are slower than the others, you’ll miss the deals. Below are my personal tips for the Singles Day online shopping war…yes, war!:

• Research items that are available for pre-sale and pay a deposit in advance to secure the deals and pay the balance on Double Eleven
• Ask all questions beforehand because the online shop agents won’t have time to reply to everyone’s questions on Double Eleven.
• Browse favorite brands every week in advance and put them into your shopping cart so you can checkout right away
• Gather as many coupons and red envelopes as possible from different online stores and use them on Nov 11 because those coupons and red envelopes are only valid for that day
• Top up money to your Alipay account and make sure there are enough funds in Alipay for the goods in your basket
• Make sure your WiFi connection is perfect. When billions of people try to check out at the same time and your internet connection is poor, you payment will likely fail. If you try to checkout again later, the deal might already be gone
• Have a good night’s rest the night before Double Eleven and be prepared for staying up late the day of