What Drives People to Buy During China's Singles' Day Aside From Big Discounts?

The biggest 24-hour online shopping event is happening on November 11, and China has a special name for it. According to the BBC, the Chinese country calls it Singles Day wherein 1.9 billion products were ordered and delivered last year. This year, experts believe that more people will buy products online as pent-up demand from the pandemic is expected to break records.

From robot cleaners, vacuums, and toolboxes, these are the popular products expected to sell out immediately. Luxury brands have also risen to the occasion as more of them participate in the Singles Day online shopping event. They call it "revenge spending" as travel restrictions will cause a meaningful shift in Chinese consumers.

Singles Day was created by Alibaba to celebrate the unattached, a complete opposite of Valentine's Day. It is also the eastern equivalent to Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Meanwhile, researchers wanted to know what drives people to buy products during China's Singles Day. Does it have something to do with one's gender, or does advertising significantly affects sales.

Over 4,000 Planes And Ships To Deliver Parcel

Due to the high demand for Singles Day, it is expected that over 4,000 planes and ships will be needed to transport parcels within and outside of China. Alibaba's logistics arm, Cainiao, is set to use more than 3,000 chartered flights and long haul cargo ships to deliver their goods within China and over 700 chartered flights outside the country.

But globally, over a million people are involved in the logistics at warehouses and ports. It will also use more than 10,000 mobile lockers to allow customers to pick-up their parcels but minimize human contact.

Pent-Up Demand From the Pandemic

Due to the pandemic's pent-up demand, it is expected that vitamins and air purifiers are expected to be among the best-seller products. In 2019, the most in-demand products were imported goods, such as dog food, healthcare and beauty products, and a 3,000% increase for beauty products for men.

China Market Research Group Shaun Rein expects beauty products to be in-demand this year and hygiene kits that include toilet paper and soap.

Online Shopping Behaviors During China's Singles Day

Singles Day started in 2016, and some researchers wanted to investigate how gender could affect a person's behavior during Singles Day.

According to their paper, males are more likely to be convenience seekers, rational buyers, and high risk of aversion than females. Meanwhile, women are more likely to trust when buying online or participating in the Singles Day online shopping.

Moreover, another study also wanted to explore product promotion strategies during Singles Day. According to this study, which is based on the stimulus-response theory, that people are more likely to buy when marketing strategies of products participating in the online shopping event focus on price promotion, fun activities when promoting their products, how well the product is promoted, and if more people are buying that product.