"Thirty-three years ago, four students at Nanjing University created what would become one of the world's biggest shopping events. It was 1993, and they dubbed November 11-written as 11.11- Singles' Day, a nod to the four bare sticks symbolizing being single in Chinese slang. What began as a lighthearted celebration of singledom quickly gained traction among young people across China. And in 2009, the date took on a radically different meaning when e-commerce giant Alibaba transformed it into a retail phenomenon."
""Double 11 has evolved into far more than a sales event," Anny Liu, General Manager of Tmall Luxury Pavilion, told media outlet Jing Daily. Over 3 decades, the event has evolved from a 1 day shopping extravaganza into a much longer event with thousands of merchants taking part. Singles Day beefed up its offerings to include campaigns, exclusive collaborations, televised programs, China-only releases, livestreaming, and physical experiences."
"Over three decades, Singles' Day has grown from a one-day shopping spree into a multi-week retail season. Today, it includes livestreamed programs, exclusive brand collaborations, limited-edition releases, and even offline experiences. Rival platforms such as JD.com and Pinduoduo soon followed Alibaba's lead, while livestreaming apps like Douyin turned the day into a cross-platform commercial marathon. Participation has exploded-from 250,000 merchants in 2020 to a reported 300,000 this y"
Singles' Day began in 1993 when four Nanjing University students marked November 11 as a celebration of being single. Alibaba converted the date into an online shopping event in 2009, launching a Tmall sale with 27 merchants. Over three decades the event expanded from a one-day flash sale into a multi-week retail season featuring livestreamed programs, exclusive brand collaborations, limited-edition and China-only releases, televised events, and offline experiences. Rival platforms such as JD.com and Pinduoduo adopted similar promotions while livestreaming apps like Douyin amplified cross-platform sales. Merchant participation surged from about 250,000 in 2020 to roughly 300,000.
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