As we know Double 11 is always a big feast in China but have you ever wonder why is it so significant in China?
1. What is Double 11?
People always have crazy shopping on 11.11 regardless of online shopping or in-store shopping. It is a Chinese festival and shopping season that honours people who are single. Double 11 is also known as Singles’ Day. Although it has become the world’s largest retail and online shopping day, the celebration is not an officially recognised public holiday in China.
2. Why does the number 1 represent single?
The date was picked because the digit 1 resembles a bare stick, which is a Chinese internet word for an unmarried man who does not add ‘branches’ to the family tree. The four ‘1s’ also abstractly refer to a demographic group of single people.
3. How did Double 11 begin?
Originally, a small group of college bachelors celebrated the date as a cynical response to typical couple-centric festivals. However, in 2009, Alibaba’s CEO Daniel Zhang began to use the day as a 24-hour shopping holiday festival, offering both online and offline discounts. The holiday has now become the world’s greatest physical retail and internet shopping day.
As more people celebrate this holiday, numerous businesses, including restaurants, karaoke parlours, and online shopping malls, have taken advantage of the opportunity to target younger consumers.