What started in China as a sort of anti-Valentine’s Day has now become the biggest offline and online shopping holiday in the world. On Singles’ Day this November 11, singles will celebrate their singledom throughout Asia and, increasingly, around the globe.

To put into perspective just how huge of an opportunity this is, last year’s Singles’ Day saw Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba achieve $30.8 billion in sales across its various platforms. In comparison, Amazon recorded $7.9 billion in sales last Cyber Monday.

With the majority of China’s population doing its shopping on mobile phones, now is the time to fine tune your mobile strategy in order to capitalize on Singles’ Day.

Why Mobile

China accounts for nearly 80% of mobile shopping done globally, but that statistic is not entirely surprising given the country’s size, buying power, and mobile-forward culture. 

What is more staggering is the sheer volume of Singles’ Day sales via mobile. Ninety percent of 2017 Singles’ Day sales came from mobile devices, well ahead of the 37% seen on Black Friday in the U.S. the same year.

With those statistics in mind, a mobile-forward approach to both marketing and sales seems more important on Singles Day than ever. Here’s how to be sure you’re mobile ready for the holiday.

Sell an Experience

While the U.S. runs on a price-driven model, Singles’ Day sales are driven by the holiday’s social experience, according to Hong-Kong based retail analyst Tiffany Lung. Get in on the fun and consider adding gamification features to your app to engage Singles’ Day shoppers.

Even more important to the experience than fun and games, though, is personalization. Ninety-one percent of consumers are more likely to shop with brands who personalize their offers and product recommendations. Learn who your Singles’ Day shoppers are and what makes them tick to enable you to deliver just the right mobile campaign to the right audience.

Cash in with E-wallets

E-wallets are the most popular type of online payment in China, covering 49% of ecommerce transactions,  so you’ll need to accept more than just plastic if you want to take full advantage of Singles’ Day. 

While many international brands already offer PayPal and Google Pay, China is all about AliPay, UnionPay, and WeChat Pay. Accept a variety of e-wallet options to ease checkout and cash in on Singles’ Day sales.

Go Omnichannel

No app is an island — at least not in China, where brick-and-mortar sales have grown (believe it or not!) since 2017. The rising popularity of an omnichannel experience is driving that growth, with 85% of shoppers in China now engaging with both digital and physical touchpoints, up from 80% in 2017.

To meet the needs of shoppers on Singles’ Day, ease the path from online browsing to in-store buying (or vice versa) with integration between your mobile app, website, and any brick-and-mortar locations. Moreover, offer complementary advertising campaigns across channels to make the whole experience seamless and to reach the biggest audience.

Socialize

We already mentioned WeChat Pay. Well, it turns out that WeChat is actually China’s primary social media app, and it offers shopping, entertainment and payment integration in addition to messaging. It not only connects friends; it connects brands to consumers, and over a billion people are using it.

Chinese consumers spend up to 44% of their time on social media apps, and that time is converting to sales. Fifty percent reported that they had become aware of a product on a social platform, and 25% reported making a purchase directly through a social channel.

This Singles’ Day, don’t forget your social campaigns, and make sure your social shops and mobile site are seamlessly integrated to boost sales.


Want to learn more about optimizing your mobile strategy for international markets? Get in touch with us at info@taptica.com.