Overview
- China’s month‑long 11.11 shopping festival is ending with “muted” sentiment as major platforms again withhold headline sales totals.
- JD.com said turnover hit a “new high,” citing a 40% rise in users placing orders and nearly 60% more orders, while Alibaba kept deals running through Nov. 14 without disclosing overall sales.
- Retailers pulled sales forward to early October and leaned on subsidies and coupons, including Alibaba’s 50 billion yuan pledge for 88VIP members, which the company said drove a 39% increase in daily active buyers among that group.
- Shoppers and analysts report cutbacks on discretionary and big‑ticket items, with spending focused on necessities and cheaper alternatives in a weak confidence environment.
- Complex discount rules and suspicions of inflated pre‑sale prices discouraged participation, while platforms expanded Singles’ Day overseas, with Taobao running promotions in 20+ countries and AliExpress staging a London livestream event.