China holds Singles Day sales amid sluggish demand

Résumé détaillé

Online companies in China are hoping to achieve large sales through annual Singles Day shopping campaigns, but some consumers have expressed reluctance to spend extra money amid…

Online companies in China are hoping to achieve large sales through annual Singles Day shopping campaigns, but some consumers have expressed reluctance to spend extra money amid tough economic conditions.

November 11 is called Singles Day in China because it features a row of four number ones. The date has been used as an opportunity to provide the biggest discounts for online shoppers in the country. Over the last few years, the sales period has started in mid-October. The campaigns are currently heating up, with eye-catching discount information appearing on websites and ads repeatedly displayed on street screens in downtown Shanghai.

But the business event has been overshadowed by the increasingly savings-oriented sentiments of consumers, as China's economy has been losing strength. The country's retail sales grew 1.1 percent during the January-September period compared to the same period last year. The slow growth suggests that people are becoming more inclined to save money.

Consumers in downtown Shanghai were asked to give their opinions on this year's Singles Day sales. Some said that they were cautious about spending money, as the economy has not been good recently. Others said that they were not excited, as similar sales campaigns occur multiple times a year and they do not have many material desires. They said they were more interested in living their daily lives without any problems.

A Chinese research firm says the average value of transactions per day during the discount period in 2025 was down more than 5 percent from the previous year. Observers are waiting to see how this year's sales will turn out.

Début de l'article, extrait de NHK World. Pour lire la suite, ouvrez l'article chez le média.