2021’s peak sales season is fast approaching and this year, it looks like Black Friday and Cyber Monday aren't the only shopping dates people are looking forward to as Single's Day joins in.

Single’s Day, China’s biggest online shopping day, has made it to the UK and it's going to be a huge opportunity for ecommerce businesses and brands across the UK who are prepared to embrace this sales opportunity and take it on board as part of their peak sales season strategies.

Although it originated from China, Single’s Day is a valuable opportunity for western retailers and brands to boost sales and increase revenue. This year, getting involved in the game, with a clear strategy in mind, is the best way to boost ecommerce sales in one day.  

What started as an “Anti-Valentine’s Day” and a celebration of singledom has now become one of the biggest ecommerce shopping days of the year that brands can benefit from. Here's why.

What is Single’s Day about?

Originally promoted in 2009 by the Chinese online retail market Alibaba, Singles Day essentially encourages single people to celebrate by treating themselves with some online shopping.

It first launched on the Alibaba retail commerce platform, and it has now converted into an annual event run globally on the 11th of November, running for 24 hours.

During Single’s Day sale ecommerce businesses offer discounts for a variety of products and consumer goods.

Why is it the biggest online retail event?

We’ve opened this blog up stating that Single's Day is one to keep an eye on this peak sales season. But why? How has a Chinese online shopping event become so relevant to the UK and US markets?

Well, the numbers speak loud and clear. On Singles' Day 2020, Chinese consumer spending on Alibaba’s e-commerce platforms amounted to 74.1 billion U.S. dollars. 

According to Statista, Singles’ Day online sales in China usually beats the U.S. Cyber Monday sales, Black Friday or any other 24-hour shopping sales event by a wide margin, making it the biggest shopping day globally.

In the UK, 55% of the population shop online, with fashion, apparel and sports goods being the favourite items they purchase online. This means that Single’s Day is an opportunity for ecommerce businesses to reach a wide audience.

It sounds obvious to say that competition is fierce on Single's day. As a retailer, grabbing user's attention and leading them to make a purchase is what you're after, so you should start off by preparing your key advertising strategies for the day.

Preparing your ecommerce business for Single’s Day

To make the most of this global shopping event, there are a few simple but crucial steps you should work on ahead of the 11^th of November in order to come prepared for this date that joins the peak sales season.

Understand your target audience 

Single's Day may be a day to celebrate singletons, but there is no reason you shouldn't target a wider audience of shoppers who will be searching around for the best deals. Gather some data from your previous campaigns launched in2020 peak sales season and analyse what worked best.

For retailers operating through Google Shopping, the data you find within your Google Analytics account should be a good guide to tailoring a specific audience for Single’s Day.

Consider using a Comparison Shopping Service (CSS)

Consider using Shopping ads to drive traffic to your website. Advertising on Google Shopping is great if you want to stand out from the crowd on such a busy shopping day.

The competition in the ecommerce world is the highest it has ever been so, as a retailer, you should consider your options to obtain product visibility at a reasonable cost.

Buying Google Shopping ads traffic can be expensive, particularly for smaller businesses. But, you can buy the same traffic at a lower cost by using a Google CSS partner.

Shoptimised is a Google CSS partner and we’re currently helping retailers reduce their Google Shopping CPC by up to 20% while we help brands prepare for Q4.

Check your stock inventory



Retailers are experiencing challenges due to unique shipping and logistics issues this year. Ahead of Single’s Day, it’s important that you check and update product inventory, in order to ensure that you can definitely sell what you advertise. Also plan ahead of time in terms of supply, logistics and delivery times.

If you're thinking about how to prepare your ecommerce business for Single’s Day and are unsure where to start, Book a free demo today with a member of our team and we’ll help with some tips.