Singles’ Day: online shopping becoming China’s new normal as record sales build on pandemic boost

Online shopping is becoming increasingly commonplace in Chinese consumers’ lives, and nowhere was that more evident than the Singles’ Day shopping extravaganza that peaked on Wednesday.

E-commerce had already seen a massive boost this year amid the coronavirus pandemic, with shoppers reluctant or unable to venture out to bricks-and-mortar stores.

Singles’ Day – the November 11 celebration that gets its name from the four ones in 11.11 – annually generates far more revenue than that of the comparable Black Friday in the United States. And this year, Singles’ Day built on the momentum of past years to once again post record sales.

With about seven weeks still remaining in the year, 2020 looks to shatter the previous annual high-water marks for online sales, which have undoubtedly been the saving grace of overall Chinese consumer spending this year.

In the first three quarters, overall retail sales fell 7.2 per cent year on year, as in-store sales plunged 13.4 per cent from the same period in 2019. But online sales remained resilient, growing 15.1 per cent compared with a year earlier.

Furthermore, online sales accounted for 24.3 per cent of all sales in the first nine months of the year. That was an increase from the 20.7 per cent proportion held by online sales for all of last year, and their 18.4 per cent share in 2018. Analysts expect the proportion of online retail sales to grow further this year, marking the seventh straight year of gains.

Even though China has largely recovered from the coronavirus health crisis, disincentives for shopping in stores remain. Health and safety restrictions are still in place, especially in public areas, throughout the country.

Yu Tian, a public relations manager in Beijing, said she has been mostly eating at home rather than going out. But she continues to shop online.