Singles’ Day, also known as Double 11 or 11.11, is celebrated every year on November 11. Originally created in 1993 by students at Nanjing University in China, Singles’ Day began as a playful “anti-Valentine’s Day,” where single people would celebrate their independence by treating themselves. The date (11.11) was chosen because the four ones represent single individuals, turning it into a day to embrace being unattached.
In 2009, Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba reimagined Singles’ Day as the “11.11 Global Shopping Festival,” transforming it from a niche student celebration into a massive retail event. Since then, Singles’ Day has exploded, becoming the world’s largest 24-hour shopping event. Major e-commerce platforms in China, like Alibaba’s Tmall and JD.com, offer huge discounts and promotions, generating sales numbers that exceed Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined. For instance, in 2020, Alibaba reported more than $74 billion in sales during its Singles’ Day shopping period.
The influence of Singles’ Day has extended well beyond China. Today, retailers in Southeast Asia, Europe, the United States, and South America participate by offering their own Singles’ Day deals. The event has effectively become a global retail phenomenon, with brands and consumers worldwide marking November 11 as a day for major online shopping.
Besides its commercial impact, Singles’ Day is also becoming a broader cultural event. Many platforms now incorporate livestreams, entertainment segments, and celebrity endorsements to draw in shoppers. This strategy has transformed Singles’ Day into an online shopping experience that combines discounts with entertainment.
As Singles’ Day continues to grow, it shows no sign of slowing down. It’s likely to keep expanding globally, driven by the rise of e-commerce and the increasing integration of shopping with digital entertainment. Singles’ Day has evolved from a small celebration of singlehood into an international shopping festival, redefining how people celebrate, connect, and, of course, shop.
