Singles' Day
The world's biggest online shopping event
It started as a joke among university students. Today it generates more money than Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined. Singles’ Day is the world’s biggest online shopping event. And every year it gains more ground in Spanish stores.
What is Singles’ Day?
Singles’ Day is a day of deals and discounts held every November 11. That’s why it’s also known as “11.11” or “Double Eleven”.
It was originally a celebration of being single. Today it is, above all, a major commercial event in which brands launch promotions over one or several days. Its unofficial motto is to treat yourself.
Origin: from a university joke to a global phenomenon
The most widely accepted story places its birth in 1993, at Nanjing University (China). A group of single students decided to dedicate a day to celebrating their status, as a kind of “anti-Valentine’s Day”.
Why November 11? Because the date is made up of four ones. In China, the number one is associated with a bare branch. It’s an image used to refer to people without a partner.
The big change came in 2009. That year, the Alibaba Group turned the date into a day of discounts on its ecommerce platform. The idea worked so well that other companies joined in and the event kept growing.
In 2021, Alibaba and JD.com together recorded sales of around 139 billion dollars during this campaign. Since 2022, neither of them has published official figures.
Singles’ Day today
The event no longer lasts just one day. In 2025, the big Chinese platforms extended their promotions to almost a month. The first deals started as early as October.
The way people shop has also changed. Live shopping, that is, selling through live streams, already accounts for a significant share of sales.
Outside China, the phenomenon has spread thanks to giants such as AliExpress. And also to local stores that have embraced the date. In Spain, more and more online stores are using 11.11 to launch their own campaigns.
Why it matters to your business
Singles’ Day has a clear advantage: it arrives about two weeks before Black Friday. That makes it a great opportunity to bring sales forward and warm up your audience.
The key is to get there before everyone else.
In the weeks leading up to Black Friday, many people start looking for deals. With a good Singles’ Day offer, you can capture those purchases before your competitors do.
What’s more, the message fits almost any industry. The idea of treating yourself works in fashion, beauty, technology, training or hospitality.
But your store doesn’t need to be a big ecommerce business. A small business can also join in with a simple, well-communicated offer.
How to prepare an email campaign for 11.11
Email is one of the best channels for Singles’ Day. These are the steps to make your campaign work:
- Plan ahead: decide on the offer, the sending schedule and how it fits in with your Black Friday and Cyber Monday campaigns.
- Clean your list: remove invalid or inactive addresses. This reduces your bounce rate and protects your deliverability during high-volume weeks.
- Segment: segmentation lets you send different offers based on each customer’s interests or purchase history.
- Take care of the subject line: a good email subject line with the number 11.11 grabs attention in a crowded inbox. Complete it with a preheader that reinforces the offer.
- Create a sequence: an advance notice, the email on the day and a final reminder before the promotion ends.
- Test before sending: an A/B test helps you choose the subject line or image that works best.
And don’t forget those who leave products in their cart. A timely reminder recovers many sales; we explain how in our guide on abandoned carts.
The role of SMS on Singles’ Day
SMS marketing is ideal for the most urgent messages. A short alert on November 11 itself is almost always read immediately. It also works a few hours before the offer ends.
The most effective approach is to combine both channels. Email presents the offer in detail and with images. SMS reminds people that time is running out. However, only send it to contacts who have given their consent and at a reasonable time.
Mistakes to avoid
The first is overwhelming your contacts. Between Singles’ Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, November can turn into an avalanche of emails. Spread out your sends and don’t send the same thing to your whole list several times.
Another common mistake is advertising discounts that aren’t really discounts. Consumers compare prices and quickly spot an inflated offer.
Improvising isn’t a good idea either. If your website isn’t ready for more traffic or your stock is limited, a successful campaign can end up with disappointed customers.
How we help you at Mailrelay
At Mailrelay, we make it easy for you to prepare your seasonal campaigns. You can design your emails with templates, segment your list and schedule the entire sequence in advance. Then you can measure the results of each send.
You can also combine email and SMS from the same platform. All of this on a free plan of up to 80,000 emails a month and 20,000 contacts. If you want to try it, you can create your Mailrelay account today.
Frequently asked questions about Singles’ Day
When is Singles’ Day? Every November 11. Many stores extend their deals to several days before and after that date.
Is it the same as Black Friday? No. Singles’ Day originated in China and is celebrated on November 11. Black Friday comes from the United States and falls at the end of the month.
Does it make sense for a small store? Yes. A simple, well-segmented offer communicated in good time can bring sales forward ahead of Black Friday.
In conclusion
Singles’ Day has gone from being a Chinese curiosity to a fixed date on the online retail calendar. For many stores, it’s the first big sales opportunity of the holiday season.
Plan it well in advance, take care of your list and combine email and SMS effectively. That way, Singles’ Day can be the best kick-off for your year-end campaign.