Retail

What China’s $5 billion shopping day for singles looked like today

Finding love isn’t easy; buying something online with your phone is.
Finding love isn’t easy; buying something online with your phone is.
Image: AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko
By
Lily Kuo
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A Chinese holiday to celebrate being single has turned into one of the world’s largest online shopping events. Today, millions of unattached Chinese took advantage of online shopping specials tailored for them—travel deals for lone travelers, single-serving rice cookers, boyfriend pillows, and deals on BMWs (helpful for shedding one’s single status).The holiday reflects the growing spending power of young Chinese professionals who are increasingly marrying later or not at all. As we reported, sales passed that of America’s after-Thanksgiving day of shopping deals, Cyber Monday, and reached $5.4 billion by 11pm, according to e-commerce giant Alibaba.

But the day, always on 11/11—the single digits symbolize the “bare branches” of being an unwed Chinese—also reflects a real demographic challenge facing the country. There are between 50 to 60 million bachelors in China who may never find a life partner because of China’s large gender imbalance. As China’s population becomes disproportionately elderly and the work force shrinks, fertility rates are falling.

The holiday was characterized by e-commerce shops and shipping services scrambling to fulfill thousands of orders. Eligible Chinese, as well as their concerned relatives, attended matchmaking events or participated in online campaigns like “Help your roommate find someone,” in which over 200,000 posted photos of themselves or their single roommates.

A man at a matchmaking event in Shanghai.
A man at a matchmaking event in Shanghai.
Image: AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko
mployees sort packages at a hub of China Post's express delivery service in Wuhan, Hubei province November 11, 2013. Chinese shoppers clicked their way through purchases in an overnight shopping rush on Monday, as China's online retail giants launched massive sales for "Singles' Day" at midnight. By 6 a.m., China's biggest online shopping site, Taobao.com, which operates Tmall.com, had raked in revenues of 10 billion yuan ($1.6 billion) from just 6 hours of sales, Xinhua News Agency reported. REUTERS/Stringer (CHINA - Tags: BUSINESS) CHINA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN CHINA - RTX15952
Employees sort packages for China Post in Wuhan, Hubei province. Logistics are often difficult during and on the days leading up to Single’s Day. Shipments are often delayed because of the crush of  orders.
Image: Reuters/Darley Shen
Men on the sidelines of a mass matchmaking event in Shanghai.
Men on the sidelines of a mass matchmaking event in Shanghai.
Image: AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko
A university student in Xian posts this photo of her roommate, telling prospective suitors not to let this opportunity pass them by.
A university student in Xian posts this photo of her roommate, telling prospective suitors not to let this opportunity pass them by.
Image: Sina Weibo
A Sina Weibo user posts a photo of his eligible classmate at Hubei University as part of an online campaign to find a match for one’s roommate.
A Sina Weibo user posts a photo of his eligible classmate at Hubei University as part of an online campaign to find a match for one’s roommate.
Image: Sina Weibo
A blogger from Nanjing posts a photo of his single friend as part of the “Find your roommate someone” campaign.
A blogger from Nanjing posts a photo of his single friend as part of the “Find your roommate someone” campaign.
Image: Sina Weibo
A woman advertises for her single relative, a young entrepreneurial fashion designer.
A woman advertises for her single relative, a young entrepreneurial fashion designer.
Image: AP Photos
Women at a single’s event in Shanghai.
Women at a single’s event in Shanghai.
Image: AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko
Delivery men sort through goods at a distribution center in Beijing. According to Chinese media, companies hired airplanes to handle the extra orders and that one delivery man died from exhaustion.
Delivery men sort through goods at a distribution center in Beijing. According to Chinese media, companies hired airplanes to handle the extra orders and that one delivery man died from exhaustion.
Image: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
Women post ads for the single bachelors of their family in Shanghai, ahead of Singles Day.
Women post ads for the single bachelors of their family in Shanghai, ahead of Singles Day.
Image: AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko
Alibaba’s sales topped 35 billion yuan on the day. Top selling items, according to the e-commerce giant, were smartphones made by Chinese handset maker Xiaomi, electronic by Haeir and furniture by Chinese firm Lovo.
Alibaba’s sales topped 35 billion yuan on the day. Top selling items, according to the e-commerce giant, were smartphones made by Chinese handset maker Xiaomi, electronic by Haeir and furniture by Chinese firm Lovo.
Image: Alibaba