The Global Rise of Singles Day Deals: How China's Shopping Event Compares to Western Retail Events

Every November, the world’s largest online retail event takes place, yet many Western consumers remain unfamiliar with it. Singles Day, celebrated on November 11th, has evolved from a lighthearted Chinese tradition into a massive e-commerce phenomenon that rivals—and in many metrics surpasses—the Western shopping events most people know. When comparing singles day deals to established shopping holidays like Black Friday, the numbers paint a striking picture of how digital commerce preferences differ across regions.

While both Singles Day and Black Friday have expanded far beyond their original single-day formats to span weeks of promotions, the scale of sales tells an interesting story about global retail trends. In 2021, consumers spending during the first two weeks of November’s singles day deals reached approximately $132.6 billion across the two dominant platforms, Alibaba and JD.com. By contrast, Black Friday 2021 generated $8.9 billion in sales, with Cyber Monday adding another $10.7 billion. Throughout the entire end-of-year shopping season in 2021 (November 1 through December 31), Western shoppers spent $204.5 billion combined—meaning that the opening two weeks of singles day deals alone represented roughly 65% of the entire Western holiday shopping season’s revenue.

From Student Tradition to E-Commerce Phenomenon: How Singles Day Deals Became a Global Event

The origins of Singles Day have nothing to do with retail. During the 1990s, a group of Chinese college students created an informal holiday to celebrate their unmarried status with a bit of humor and self-indulgence. They selected November 11th—represented numerically as 11/11 or 1-1-1-1—as their chosen date. On this day, single people would treat themselves to small luxuries.

The retail opportunity didn’t go unnoticed for long. In 2009, Alibaba, China’s e-commerce powerhouse, transformed the cultural celebration into a 24-hour online shopping event. The platform offered exclusive merchants and discounts across its marketplace ecosystem, where third-party sellers could reach consumers directly. The concept proved wildly successful: that first year, only 27 brands participated in singles day deals.

Recognizing the potential for expansion, Alibaba dramatically reimagined the event in 2017, extending what had been a single day into an 11-day extravaganza called the Alibaba Global Shopping Festival. By 2019, the event had become so entrenched in Chinese popular culture that Alibaba launched its 10th Singles Day celebration with a celebrity-studded gala in Shanghai. The event’s growth in merchant participation has been exponential: by 2021, an astounding 290,000 brands were offering singles day deals—a more than 10,000-fold increase from the original 27 participants.

By The Numbers: Singles Day Sales Dwarf Western Shopping Events

The sheer scale of singles day deals has become difficult to overstate. According to industry estimates, more than 900 million people—representing just over 11% of the entire global population—participated in shopping during the two-week 2021 event. For comparison, approximately 180 million people shopped around Thanksgiving weekend in the United States, including those taking advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers.

Alibaba and JD.com, the two Chinese e-commerce giants, dominate this market segment. Alibaba alone operates with a user base that underscores its market dominance: the company reports 925 million mobile monthly active users across its platforms. Amazon, often cited as the global e-commerce leader, has approximately 300 million active customer accounts—roughly one-third of Alibaba’s mobile user base.

Alibaba’s retail infrastructure spans multiple distinct marketplaces where brands can create customized store experiences for consumers. The primary marketplace, Tmall.com, hosts approximately 25,000 international brands from nearly 100 countries. The company has also created specialized shopping sections, including a luxury pavilion dedicated to designer goods, now stocking products from premium houses like Hermès International and Chanel. This infrastructure enables sellers to participate in singles day deals across a highly organized, multi-tiered retail ecosystem.

Western Brands Enter the Singles Day Market

For many years, American and European retailers largely ignored the singles day deals opportunity, viewing it as a distinctly Chinese phenomenon. That calculus has shifted dramatically in recent years. Mainstream Western brands—including Nike, Sephora, ASOS, Brooklinen, Clinique, Dell, Lovehoney, and Walmart—have begun rolling out singles day deals and exclusive promotions each November.

This expansion reflects a broader recognition among international retailers that the event represents a significant commercial opportunity. As Western brands become more sophisticated about tapping into the singles day deals market, observers expect increasing participation and deeper integration of this shopping event into the global retail calendar.

According to retail analysts, U.S. consumers who shop strategically during the singles day deals period can discover bargains weeks before Black Friday, often from premium international brands seeking to enter the American market. The expansion also means that established American retailers are increasingly testing the waters with November 11th promotions, forcing consumers to monitor a wider retail calendar than in previous years.

Where and How to Find Singles Day Deals as a Western Shopper

For American and European consumers interested in participating in singles day deals, the barrier to entry has never been lower. Several strategies can maximize your shopping experience during this event.

First, check whether your favorite retailers have announced singles day deals participation. Major brands that have historically offered promotions include Nike, Sephora, Walmart, and various direct-to-consumer companies. Many retailers now publish their singles day deals announcements in September and October, giving consumers time to plan purchases.

Second, leverage coupon aggregation websites to amplify your savings. Platforms like CouponFollow.com often partner with retailers to offer double cash-back incentives during the singles day deals period, effectively reducing final purchase prices beyond the advertised discounts.

Third, monitor brand social media and email newsletters starting in early November. As singles day deals participation has expanded, brands increasingly announce exclusive codes and limited-time offers through direct customer channels rather than through retail platforms.

Finally, compare singles day deals with the alternative seasonal shopping events that follow throughout November and December. While singles day deals offer international variety and early-season pricing, Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving), Small Business Saturday (the Saturday following Thanksgiving), and Cyber Monday (the Monday after Thanksgiving) often feature different merchandise categories and competitive pricing. Strategic shoppers benefit from understanding the distinct advantages of each retail event throughout the holiday season.