Singles Day began as an unofficial celebration of being single, founded in the 1990s by Chinese university students. With Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba leading the way, the holiday has grown into a big one-day shopping excitement today.
What Is Singles Day?
Chinese university students created Singles Day in the 1990s as an unofficial celebration of being single. The date 11/11 was chosen, with every 1 standing for the uncoupled as bare branches.
Today, Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce platform, is leading the way in this massive one-day shopping excitement that has replaced the holiday. The business recognized in 2009 that by giving single customers a reason to purchase for themselves, Singles Day may be a profitable chance.
Even while Singles Day was once only an advertising event, it has grown into a stand-alone entertainment event. Celebrities promote exclusive products and make significant appearances.
Alibaba said that the yearly sales craze, which brought in 498.2 billion yuan (about $75 billion), crashed records once more. An additional three days were added to the total to increase sales following the pandemic. The haul this year is 26% more than it was at the same period last year. That is more than the total amount of Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Prime Day in 2019!
American brands had a greater influence this year. Promos were available from companies like Apple, Nike, and Kiehl’s that are well-known to Chinese customers. More than 250,000 brands took part in this year’s sales events overall, according to Alibaba.
To understand more about Singles Day, check out this blog post to find more information.
Shipment Impact
These significant advertising events put more demand on transportation structures, as we have seen in the United States. Between November 11 and 16, over 3 billion packages will be shipped throughout China in celebration of Singles Day. That is two times the average daily amount.
Even though we aren’t expecting that many packages in the United States, it does highlight how important it is to shop early this holiday season to ensure on-time delivery.
[H2] Singles Day In The US
It seems like Singles Day has taken off in the US retail industry recently. A few deals had a clear Singles’ Day topic, based on plays on the number 11, and seemed like they were available for just one day.
Others simply took advantage of the large holiday shopping season to offer promotions. This year’s e-commerce Singles Day sales featured several important highlights, such as:
- Brooklinen — 15% off sitewide
- Net-a-porter — 22% off
- Pharmacy — $25 off orders $75+
- Foria — $11 off any purchase
- Naadam — 30% off any cashmere purchase
- Versed — 15% off sitewide
What It Means for E-Commerce in the US
Singles Day fits in wonderfully with the promotional-heavy Christmas season, even though this year is special because of the pandemic speeding up the holiday buying window. I believe that this trend is here to stay, based on the rise in the number of brands using Singles Day marketing this year.
It’s a chance to “treat yourself” before the pressure to buy gifts for other people starts. Remember to mark Singles Day in your promotional calendar for the following year!
Live streaming could be the next big thing in commerce experiences as e-commerce grows in the United States. According to Coresight Research, live streaming in China is expected to generate $125 billion in revenue this year, up from $63 billion the previous year.
Chinese consumers have been using their smartphones to purchase during pandemic lockdowns, which has resulted in a fantastic rise. By comparison, the live-streaming business in the United States is believed to be worth $5 billion.
A large audience and the underlying technology necessary for fast transactions are needed for live streaming to have any significant effect. As a result, big tech companies like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok are introducing new tools to make it easier for users to purchase goods from videos.
Amazon is a clear competitor in this market, but it lacks the social media platform and influencer relationships necessary for content creation. As more recent competitors like Popshop Live and Ntwrk enter the competition, this is an area to keep an eye on as there isn’t yet a clear champion.
How To Put Singles Day In Your Ecommerce Strategies
Focus On The Mobile User Experience
Ninety per cent of all purchases made on Singles Day are made on mobile devices. This makes the day a major mobile shopping event. The fact that there is such a staggering volume of mobile traffic shows how mobile-first Chinese and other Asia-Pacific customers are.
If you want to run promotions for Singles Day, make sure they follow Google’s recommended practices for mobile pop-ups and are completely optimized for mobile users. Here are some tips:
- Don’t use promotions that take over the full screen or make your site hard to navigate
- Use non-interruptive pop-up styles like banners and tabs for general website messaging
- Use a time delay or trigger your mobile pop-up for the second-page view
Additionally, you should optimize your website for mobile users. Verify again that your site’s parts are responsive, your navigation menu functions properly, and that important information on mobile product pages isn’t covered or missing.
When you’re reviewing your mobile user experience, think about the customer journey: how would visitors understand the shopping process, and how might the flow of your website encourage them to do what’s needed leading up to a purchase?
Cultural Thoughts
Be mindful of cultural variations and how they may affect your marketing if you’re an Australian or Western company trying to reach a larger audience.
Having specific translations (Google Translate is not acceptable!) and using geo-targeting to display a suitable experience to customers depending on their location are the most obvious ways to personalize your website.
Keep in mind that different design elements, such as colors or characters, might have varied meanings; the cultural context of marketing messages is quite important.
It’s important to take this into account while attempting to expand your audience and enter new areas.
Although Singles Day is still mostly celebrated in East Asia, its popularity is beginning to grow. Multinational businesses have made their presence known, and an increasing number of brands are taking part. At least 100 Western companies participated in the U.S. Singles Day deals last year, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Ann Taylor, and Brooklinen.
If you want to succeed in the market, you have to participate in Singles Day. Brands that manage this holiday well have a tonne of possibilities for development and engagement.
In addition, November 11th often serves as a day of celebration in Western markets (the United States and Europe). It’s important to keep in mind that, depending on the holiday you decide to advertise in November, appealing to both audiences will require using different text and tones.
Create The Ideal Offer
Similar to Cyber Monday and Black Friday, there are high expectations for Singles Day in terms of deals and discounts for consumers. Bigger stores can engage in this race to the bottom because they can afford lower margins on higher volume sales, while smaller retailers must find ways to draw customers in other than by offering a deep discount.
To increase the value you’re providing customers with while maintaining your profit margins, pair a discount with a secondary offer, such as a free shipping threshold or a gift with purchase. This is an effective way to draw interest in an offer and increase its attractiveness to steer clear of unsuccessful marketing campaigns and unsold goods.
In Conclusion
With numbers of sales like $1 billion in the first five minutes, Singles Day has become the ideal example of Internet retail success.
Knowing your demographic is important, especially with just a few weeks left before the notorious Black Friday/Cyber Monday shopping weekend. Don’t take money away from established, highly successful holiday campaigns if your target demographic isn’t likely to find this to be a compelling selling point.
However, pay attention to Singles Day—it’s getting more and more popular and should be on your marketing plan for 2024.
