Singles Day promotions kindle China's spending power

English>>Business

Editor's Pick

Singles Day promotions kindle China's spending power

By Hu Tao and Zhang Yao (Xinhua) 08:35, November 11, 2013

Email|Print|Comments

twitter

facebook

Sina Microblog

Workers sort outpiled-up packages at YTO Express' sorting center in east China'sShanghai Municipality, Nov. 9, 2013. As the Chinese grassroots'self-proclaimed Singles' Day, which falls on November 11, gainspopularity, the country's e-commerce websites have grasped thechance to make money. The surging package volume caused greatpressure for many express delivery companies. (Xinhua/Chen Fei)

BEIJING, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- Over 100 freighter aircraft and countless high-speed rail carriages and vehicles are gearing up to shuttle around Chinese cities for the shopping carnival of Singles Day on Monday.

The online shopping spree on Nov. 11., initiated in the name of "Singles Day," a celebration for those not paired off, has become the country's most popular annual commercial holiday and created an e-commerce miracle.

However, what Chinese e-commerce enterprises are concerned most about right now is not their sales volume, but the herculean task of actually delivering the goods.

In some major cities, express companies are sorely lacking manpower after many staff have quit, preferring not to face the flood of goods.

"It is destined to be a nationwide online retail frenzy. Chinese customers have no lack of spending power, but just need an ignitor," said Zhang Yong, chief operating officer of e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, operator of Taobao.com and Tmall.com.

According to Zhang, "Singles Day released both customers' desire and the sales channels. Alibaba provided the kindling in igniting the mass effect and appeal of e-commerce."

E-COMMERCE CREATION, MASS CARNIVAL

Singles Day became 24 hours of crazy online shopping when Alibaba launched its first sales campaign on Nov. 11, 2009.

Since then, Singles Day sales at Tmall snowballed from 50 million yuan (8.2 million U.S. dollars) in 2009 to 19.1 billion in 2012, and are poised to top 30 billion this year.

About 10 million online shoppers rushed to Alibaba within the first minute of last Singles Day. And their order volumes amounted to 100 million yuan by the end of the second minute on Tmall.

Alibaba on Thursday announced its opening of Singles Day "overseas fairs," specially-designed sales channels to allow overseas customers to join the shopping carnival.

Netizens abroad can access versions of Alibaba's content in both traditional Chinese characters and English. What's more, many will be able to access subsidized overseas shipping from Alibaba.

"It is so warming to see pages in traditional cantonese on this year's online fair for Hong Kong residents," said an online customer surnamed Shi in Hong Kong.

"I am ready for joyful shopping for familiar international brands," she said, adding that it will be more convenient and better value with Tmall providing an international delivery platform.

The enormous market has lured all major e-commerce firms to try to take a slice of the pie.

Even a month ahead of Singles Day this year, an advertising campaign started among the e-commerce giants like Tmall, Jingdong and Suning.