Brace your wallets — 11.11 is coming soon! 1 November marks the launch of Taobao Marketplace and Tmall’s annual 11.11 Global Shopping Festival for us lucky Singaporeans. Backed by Alibaba Group, these immensely popular e-commerce platform is gearing up for the biggest edition of the online shopping extravaganza yet, in a style fit for its 10th anniversary.
For those who need a little refresher, 11.11 is a highly anticipated yearly event that takes place on 11 November, where shoppers get their fix of massive savings and endless things to buy online. It was first conceived by Alibaba Group’s CEO, Daniel Zhang, 10 years ago to commemorate Singles’ Day, but has since grown from 52 million RMB in earnings to last year’s staggering and record-breaking 168.2 billion RMB within 24 short hours.
To kick things off, a launch event was held in Alibaba Group’s new Singaporean home, the Alibaba Singapore Visitor Centre in AXA Tower. The space was transformed with the help of trendy Taobao and Tmall products into a stylish living space, complete with an impeccable wardrobe and the latest tech gadgets. Visitors were lucky to be immersed in an online shopping experience brought to life, by interacting with the products in a home environment and even indulging in an exciting fashion show, with models decked out in full Taobao and Tmall gear. It was only a tantalising taste of what the 11.11 Global Shopping Festival has to offer.
Its comeback in 2018 promises to be just as thrilling for Singapore shoppers, allowing everyone to ‘Buy More For Less’. 11.11 will involve over 180,000 brands from China and beyond, who have ready about 1.5 billion products up on the Taobao and Tmall sites.
To get in on the fun, simply start browsing on the mobile app, or on your laptops. The savings have already begun, leading up to the final day of sales on the 11th just next week. You can look forward to collecting daily coupons and vouchers from specific merchants, and there are also daily hongbao giveaways of up to 150 RMB at 10am and 4pm. Scroll through the infinite options of clothing, furniture, electronics and start piling on your cart, because when the day arrives, you will be able to stack all the coupons to maximise your discounts.
Other good reasons to set start setting alerts for 11.11 include RMB 11.11 flash deals throughout the day, surprise drops of RMB 555 promo codes and free shipping offers up for grabs. New members who sign up will also get additional benefits, so start working those fingers in prep for a day of scrolling and refreshing.
Some delights that Singaporeans can look out for are for one, the local partnerships that Alibaba has established, so you can unlock exclusive discounts with brands like Singtel and eatigo. Apart from that, checking out your full carts has also been made simpler with expanded payment options that now include AXS, UOB and Maybank. For experienced users of the platform, they have also launched Singapore’s first referral programme, so every time you convince a friend to shop with the Taobao Lite application, you cash in with additional vouchers and may even win prizes worth up to RMB100,000.
If shopping online still leaves you craving for the feeling of crisp fabrics beneath your fingers, or you’re in need of inspiration on how to refresh your home, there’s an answer to that. Quirkily dubbed a “phygital” store, Taobao and Tmall have put together NomadX, a showcase of their bestselling products in a physical setup. Alibaba Group teased consumers with a similar production during the Great Singapore Sale earlier this year with a Taobao Home pop-up. In light of its success and demands for more, NomadX was put together.
Located conveniently in Plaza Singapura, you can step in and experience Alibaba’s new retail concept, where Taobao and Tmall home and living products come to life. There you will find design ideas, innovative solutions to your home needs and shop to your heart’s content. The 11.11 Global Shopping Festival is not only limited to your screens, but will also bring the festivity in store. From 9 to 11 November, special programmes are lined up for visitors, and lucky patrons may even enjoy some giveaway treats on 11 November itself, so mark your calendars.
Just a tip from the pros themselves before you go wild: check out the in-app photo search function, be sure to read customer reviews, and don’t be afraid to use the seller chat function to communicate with merchants!
Now that you’ve heard all of this, don’t fret — it’s never too late to start saving up for the big 11.11, and maybe it’s also never too early to start shopping now. Alibaba Group’s 11.11 Global Shopping Festival guarantees an engaging and wallet-friendly shopping bonanza, so get started and stock up on gifts for all occasions, the coming festive season, or maybe even the whole of next year’s wardrobe.
