Have you heard about 11.11? Maybe you’re asking yourself, “What is 11.11?” Also known as Singles Day, it’s the biggest shopping event in the world that you are maybe just hearing about for the first time. Every November 11th, online e-commerce giant Alibaba puts on a show with some of the best deals you’ll find worldwide. And get this, 2018 is shaping up to be the biggest event ever.
So what is 11.11 and how do you even prepare for your new favorite shopping holiday? Head below for an overview, a few tips to prepare and more.
What is 11.11?
Well the history is a bit tricky to track down. The “bare sticks holiday” originated on November 11th, 1993 at Nanjing University. It was a day to celebrate single students. Since that time, Singles Day has blown up into a quasi-national holiday of sorts that resembles Black Friday. The first retail-centric version of the holiday as we know it now started 10 years ago.
Alibaba, the Chinese-based conglomerate, is behind what is now more broadly known as the 11.11 shopping holiday. The retailer is known to share some of the best deals globally on this day. In fact, last year, 11.11 saw more sales made than on Black Friday.
Who participates on 11.11?
With Alibaba and its AliExpress storefront driving things on a global level, we’re starting to see more and more retailers take advantage of this holiday. This year we’re even expecting to see stateside retailers like Amazon, Sephora, and others dabble with discounts on Sunday the 11th, even if they may not officially call them 11.11 or Singles Day sales.
Finding the best deals at AliExpress
When you hit the front page of AliExpress, it can be really overwhelming. There’s a ton of categories here and the graphics are out of control. So it’s important to know where to look on 11.11.
First up, be sure to hit that 11.11 SALE tab on the top of the home page that details what items will be on sale. Much like Black Friday, it’s tough to predict what deals will be available on 11.11, but you know you’ll find all the best offers at AliExpress right there. For some listings there is also the option of adding to your cart now, and it will be there on Sunday at the discounted price.
Shipping will vary for United States shoppers. Some items will ship free while other big ticket items may have big delivery fees tagged on.
What are you looking to snag on 11.11? Let us know in the comments what deals have caught your eye.
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