The key facts
- In 2026, Chinese marketplaces began the 11.11 sale a month ahead of the date: JD.com on October 12, Alibaba and Douyin on October 15
- Consumers have become more cautious with spending and less likely to stay up until midnight for discounts
- According to Syntun, sales during last year's sale period reached 1.695 trillion yuan — up 14.2% year on year, but growth has slowed
From midnight race to shopping season
The world's biggest sale, 11.11 in China, is gradually turning from a midnight race for discounts into an ordinary shopping season. Singaporean outlet Channel NewsAsia reports on the changes to the famous Singles' Day, and Life.ru cites its coverage. Just a few years ago, November 11 resembled a shopping championship: brands competed for records, marketplaces published sales rankings, and some stores earned tens of millions of yuan in the first hours. Now, according to sellers' observations, the former record-breaking spikes are becoming less and less pronounced.
Sales start a month early
The main change is the calendar. In 2026, Chinese platforms launched their sales long before November 11: JD.com started its promotions on October 12, Alibaba and Douyin on October 15, and some platforms even earlier. Instead of a single day of discounts, shoppers are offered several weeks of special prices. Marketplaces are also changing the format: Alibaba moved the start of sales from midnight to 8 p.m. several years ago, brands are abandoning aggressive calls to place orders immediately, and are developing livestream selling, product presentations and personalized offers.
Consumers have become more cautious
Buyers' behavior is changing too. Fan Jun, a 34-year-old livestream host from Shanghai, told CNAthat six years ago sales during sale days would spike sharply, but now it is 'more of a small bump — slightly above the usual level, but not by much.' Zhang Ya, a 29-year-old ceramics teacher, admitted she is tired of figuring out complicated coupons and accumulating unnecessary things for the sake of discounts: in her words, it is easier to buy as needed, since the price difference is often small. At the same time, as the outlet notes, Chinese consumers have not necessarily started buying less — they more often ask themselves whether they really need the item.
Records remain, but growth is slowing
It is premature to speak of the 'death' of 11.11: according to analytics firm Syntun, during last year's sale period Chinese platforms sold goods worth 1.695 trillion yuan — 14.2% more than the year before, although the growth rate slowed noticeably. This creates a paradox that CNA highlights: the sale keeps bringing in huge money, but looks less and less like a holiday for which millions of people stayed up until midnight. For buyers, this means that 'waiting for a discount' is now possible almost throughout October and November, while for sellers it means the effect of a single sales start is weakening.
