China’s Singles’ Day Ends Quietly as Shoppers Spend Less

Post by : Sameer Saifi

China’s biggest shopping festival, Singles’ Day, has ended quietly this year. Even after more than a month of discounts and big offers, excitement among shoppers was low. The event, which started in early October and ended on November 11, failed to bring the same energy and spending that it once did.

Singles’ Day, also called “Double 11,” is the world’s largest online shopping festival. But in 2025, sales and excitement were much lower. Experts say people in China are spending less because they are worried about jobs, income, and the weak property market. Many are saving money instead of buying new products.

Retailers tried hard to attract shoppers. Companies like Alibaba and JD.com offered huge discounts, coupons, and cash rewards. Alibaba even promised 50 billion yuan in special deals for its 88VIP members, who are frequent buyers. Still, many shoppers did not buy as much as before.

A 45-year-old housewife from Beijing said she did not make a shopping list this year. “It’s easy to buy things anytime now. I didn’t feel the need to wait for Singles’ Day,” she explained. This shows how regular discounts throughout the year have made the festival feel less special.

Major online platforms have also stopped sharing their total sales numbers. In the past, companies would proudly announce record-breaking results, but this year, both Alibaba and JD.com avoided giving exact figures. JD.com said it reached a “new high” in turnover, with a 40% increase in users and a 60% rise in total orders. However, it did not say how much money was made.

Some products did very well, such as organic baby food from Australia, pet food from the United States, and skincare products from France. JD.com said these brands saw sales rise by more than 150% compared to last year.

Alibaba said that in the first hour of the sale, 35 big brands like Nike, L’Oreal, Anta, and Proya sold more than 100 million yuan worth of products each. But even with these strong numbers, experts said the overall festival felt weaker than in past years.

Josh Gardner, CEO of Kung Fu Data, said the shopping mood this year was “muted.” Some brands did well, but many saw flat or slightly lower sales. He added that October and November still bring in up to 40% of yearly income for many brands, but the big “sales spike” is not as strong as it once was.

Retail experts say Chinese e-commerce companies are now looking abroad to increase profits. Alibaba’s Taobao launched Singles’ Day sales in over 20 countries. Its global arm, AliExpress, hosted live online shopping events in places like London, featuring famous toy brands.

According to a report by Bain & Company, Chinese companies need to grow more internationally because the home market is slowing down. As Chinese consumers become more careful with money, the future of Singles’ Day may depend on attracting shoppers outside China.

This year’s muted Singles’ Day shows how much China’s economy has changed. The excitement of buying new things has been replaced by cautious spending. Retailers will now need to find new ways to keep shoppers interested, both in China and around the world.

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