Marking its 10th anniversary, Alibaba’s Singles Day on 11 November is set to be the biggest ever, says the marketplace.
According to Alibaba, 180,000 global brands will be taking part in the event, which is fast becoming an international phenomenon and which is fast being seen as the starting gun for the peak season shopping bonanza.
The marketplace is also using this year’s event to trump its ‘New Retail’ concept that aims to blend the best of online and offline retail developments and will see some 200,000 smart stores in China, fast-moving consumer goods, beauty products, automobile and home decor retailers will help boost traffic to online and shops, according to Alibaba Group news service Alizila.
“This year marks the 10th anniversary of 11.11. On the back of China’s explosive digital transformation, the Festival’s astounding growth over the past decade has powered the steady rise in quality consumption sought by Chinese shoppers. The evolution also showcases the development of the Alibaba ecosystem over time, expanding well beyond ecommerce.”
– Daniel Zhang, CEO, Alibaba Group
Key brands in Alibaba Group will offer home and international consumers luxury and exclusive items on the day. These will include 100 Hema stores, 400 RT Marts, and 62 Intimate Malls, as well as 22 Easyhome stores.
Shoppers can already pre-order 500,00 products, using discount coupons, via Mobile Taobao and Mobile Tmall apps. Customers can purchase from more than 3,700 categories of imported goods across 75 countries and regions.
Tmall, meanwhile, is showcasing its annual ’See now, Buy later’ fashion show to mark a month-long celebration of Singles Day. The live-streamed four-hour show, which attracted more than 57m online viewers – three times as many as last year – allowed the audience to buy items they saw on the catwalk in real-time via their phones.
Alibaba Group retailer Lazada will host its 11.11 event for the first time across six countries including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. The marketplace promises a more engaged consumer experience and the highest discounts of the year for 24-hours from its own platform and LazMall.
“As Alibaba’s Singles Day begins its second decade, there is still room for growth. In the past decade, we have gone through many changes and collected some great memories. But in grand scheme of things, this is just the beginning. In the next five to 10 years, surely the internet will change, and thus we will have to innovate new ways to serve our customers.”
– Daniel Zhang, CEO, Alibaba Group
