The Black Friday shopping season lasts for much longer than a single day. The pivotal retail moment spans 10 weeks of consumer research, purchase, and discount-hunting behaviour in three distinct stages: the build-up, the craze, and the last call. Within this period lies an important date to mark on your calendars: Singles’ Day.
An extension of the key Black Friday retail season, Singles’ Day is an import from China that has rapidly become one of the retail industry’s biggest shopping days worldwide. Alibaba’s most profitable day in 2019 was Singles’ Day, with over 1.3 billion orders placed on Alibaba, amounting to almost $38.4 billion in sales.
In 2019, retailers in MENA — particularly in the United Arab Emirates — extended Singles’ Day offers for two extra days due to high demand. E-commerce app downloads peaked during this period, as consumers sought to take advantage of offers from brands. In this one-sheeter, we explore the regional significance of Singles’ Day and offer actionable takeaways for marketers to embrace this important micro-moment.
