Half a billion shoppers expected to participate in Singles Day 2019 — here’s what you need to know

It’s the world’s largest single-day sale.

Held annually on November 11, China’s so-called 11.11 Global Shopping Festival is now larger than US equivalents Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined. This is its 11th year.

It was originally known as Singles Day because 11.11 resembles four “single sticks” — a Chinese term used to refer to bachelors.

While the obscure tradition of Bachelors Day began in 1993 at Nanjing University in Beijing, e-commerce behemoth Alibaba turned it into a shopping festival in 2009 on its Taobao website.

Double 11 is now marked across all of China’s major e-commerce platforms including Alibaba’s Tmall and Taobao, and their competitor JD.com.

Festival shoppers typically stack their carts during the evening on November 10, and begin checking out as the clock strikes midnight.

However, presales are also an option — and if they’re any indication, this year could see the biggest sales day yet.

Chinese state media reported this week that 64 brands had already sold more than $20 million worth of goods in presales each.

Last year’s event smashed previous records, seeing $2 billion worth of purchases in the first two minutes, and total sales of $42.5 billion over the 24-hour period.

Alibaba expects 500 million consumers will participate this year, a whopping 100 million more than last year. Experts say it’s a potent sign of the growing affluence across China.

Clothing, beauty products and lifestyle electronics like mobile phones are generally the most popular items.

Fresh food is also on offer. JD claims that 300,000 eggs were sold in the first half-hour of last year’s event.

Property developers will also be seeking to flog real estate on Singles Day, with thousands of heavily discounted homes on sale in 2019.

Some people have been known to get carried away with the excitement.

ABC