Singles’ Day 2026
November 11
About Singles’ Day 2026
Singles’ Day 2026 is Wednesday 11 November 2026. Singles’ Day is always 11 November, chosen because the date 11.11 is made up of four ones, and it has become the largest online shopping festival in the world.
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Wednesday 11 November 2026 |
| 2027 | Thursday 11 November 2027 |
| 2028 | Saturday 11 November 2028 |
What is Singles’ Day?
Singles’ Day began in the early 1990s as a tongue in cheek celebration of being single among students at Nanjing University in China. The date 11 November was picked because the four ones resemble four people standing alone. In 2009 the e-commerce company Alibaba turned the day into a one day sale on its Tmall platform, and it has grown every year since into a shopping event that dwarfs Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined. Alibaba reported gross merchandise volume of 84 billion US dollars across its platforms in 2021, the last year it published a headline figure.
Today Singles’ Day is a multi week festival in China, with pre sales starting in mid October and rival platforms JD.com, Pinduoduo and Douyin competing for spend. Outside China, retailers in South East Asia, Europe and increasingly the UK and US run 11.11 promotions, and many brands treat it as the opening of the holiday shopping season ahead of Black Friday.
Why it matters for marketers and organisations
Retailers and marketplaces plan around Singles’ Day because it is the first major sales peak of the fourth quarter and a chance to reach Chinese and Asian diaspora consumers in particular. Beauty, fashion, electronics and luxury brands see the largest lifts, and cross border sellers on Tmall Global use it as their biggest trading day of the year. For everyone else the angle is twofold: a lighter, self care and treat yourself message that celebrates single people, or a straightforward 11.11 flash sale that warms up customers before Black Friday two weeks later.
Ideas: how to mark Singles’ Day
- Run a 24 hour 11.11 flash sale with 11 per cent off or eleven featured products.
- Build a treat yourself gift guide aimed at people buying for themselves rather than a partner.
- Test a limited drop or bundle on Singles’ Day as a rehearsal for Black Friday logistics.
- Use the day to celebrate single staff and customers with a positive message rather than a dating joke.
- Offer a solo dining, solo travel or one person experience promotion in hospitality.
- Publish a short explainer on the history of the day for your audience, most of whom will not know its origins.
- Localise offers for Chinese speaking customers if you sell cross border.
- Pair with a charity donation for every order to soften a pure discount message.
Key facts
- Alibaba ran its first Singles’ Day sale on 11 November 2009 with 27 participating brands.
- In 2019 Alibaba recorded 38.4 billion US dollars of sales in 24 hours.
- In 2021 Alibaba reported 84.5 billion US dollars of gross merchandise volume across the extended festival.
- Alibaba stopped publishing headline sales totals from 2022 onwards.
- The date is also known as Double Eleven or 11.11 in Chinese marketing.
- The day falls two weeks before Black Friday, which in 2026 is 27 November.
Frequently asked questions
When is Singles’ Day 2027?
Singles’ Day 2027 is Thursday 11 November 2027. The date never changes because it is defined by the number 11.11, though Chinese platforms usually open pre sales in the second half of October.
Is Singles’ Day bigger than Black Friday?
Yes, by a wide margin. Even Alibaba alone has reported single festival sales far above the combined US online spend on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and that is before adding JD.com and other platforms.
Is Singles’ Day celebrated in the UK?
Awareness is growing, mostly through retailers and marketplaces such as AliExpress and Shein running 11.11 promotions, and through UK brands with Chinese customers. It is not a public holiday anywhere.
Published 28 August 2026: dates checked for 2026 to 2028.
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