China’s biggest e-commerce company said sales topped $30 billion over a 24-hour period, soaring past last year’s record of about $24 billion.
The shopping extravaganza regularly racks up bigger sales than Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined. But this year’s Singles Day comes as Alibaba’s growth is coming under pressure from China’s slowing economy, new rivals in the e-commerce industry and the trade war with the United States.
The final tally on Alibaba platforms rang in at $30,802,477,608, an increase of about 27% over last year’s total at current exchange rates. That’s less spectacular than the 40% growth recorded in 2017.
Singles Day is an informal holiday in China celebrating people not in relationships. Its date — November 11, or 11/11— is meant to symbolize singletons.
Alibaba started offering Singles Day discounts in 2009 and has since turned the day into a 24-hour bonanza of online shopping in China.
