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☆ Singles’ Day shopping festival loses its shine under China’s lagging economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-12 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

HONG KONG — Businesses and consumers in China found the annual Singles’ Day shopping festival less attractive this year due to a sluggish economy, forcing e-commerce firms to look abroad for growth. While Singles’ Day was previously a one-day event, shopping platforms in China now kickstart the festival weeks ahead to drum up sales volume. But amid China’s lagging domestic economy, dragged down by a real estate crisis and deflationary pressures, consumers no longer go all out during the shopping extravaganza. Wang said that the prices offered on e-commerce platforms during Singles’ Day are not necessarily cheaper than usual. “I used to buy a lot two or three years ago and I even purchased a mobile phone (during Singles’ Day),” he said.

Persons: Alibaba, ”, —, “, Wang Haihua, Wang, we’ve, Zhang Jiewei, ” Zhang, Shaun Rein, ” Rein, Gucci, Jacob Cooke, ” Cooke Organizations: HONG KONG —, China Market Research Group Locations: HONG KONG, China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Beijing, Xi’an, Shanghai, “

☆ China's Singles Day shopping festival is more than halfway over. Here's how consumers are spending
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-04 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

China's e-commerce giants stopped reporting Singles Day GMV in 2022 during the pandemic. Singles Day GMV this year as of Oct. 30 was 845 billion yuan ($119.1 billion), according to research firm Syntun. Subsidies boost appliancesHelping boost sales this Singles Day are China's subsidies for trade-ins of home appliances, launched in late July. They predict 4% to 5% growth in Singles Day GMV, with sales in the home appliance category supported by the trade-in program. "Something that kind of came out of nowhere, into all of a sudden really, really big numbers."

Persons: Alibaba, Jacob Cooke, JD's, ByteDance's Douyin, Cooke, Louis Vuitton, we've, UOB Kay Hian, JD.com, Dave Xie, Oliver Wyman, Xie, There's, Liang, Chiikawa, Taobao, Tmall Organizations: Visual China, Getty, Alibaba, Technologies, CNBC, Louis Locations: Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, China, BEIJING, Asia, Alibaba, British

☆ The Chinese economy is so bad, even Chinese people can't be enticed into buying dirt-cheap mega-sale items
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Chinese e-commerce giants try to lure in customers with attractive salesHistorically, e-commerce has accounted for a hefty chunk of China's retail spending. AdvertisementIn 2023, online retail sales nationwide reached $2.12 trillion, accounting for 27.6% of the total retail sales of consumer goods in the country, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. China's youth unemployment rate stood at 14.9% as of December, according to China's National Bureau of Statistics. And the average per capita income in China in the first quarter of 2024 was $905, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Figures from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that new home prices in 70 major Chinese cities were down 0.7% from April.

Persons: —, they've, Alibaba, JD.com, Allison Malmsten, Yaling Jiang, they're, Jiang, Evergrande Organizations: Service, Business, CNBC, National Bureau of Statistics, Apple, Daxue Consulting, National Bureau, Statistics Locations: China

☆ China’s 618 e-commerce festival sees a decline in sales for the first time in 8 years, data firm Syntun says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Dylan Butts | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

China's annual 618 mid-year e-commerce festival saw sales drop for the first time in 8 years, according to retail data provider Syntun, signaling consumption recovery in the world's second-biggest economy was still quite slow. It was also the first time sales clocked a decline since Sytun began monitoring the event in 2016, the company told CNBC. It is China's second-biggest annual sales event after "Singles Day" in November — both are seen as a barometer for household consumption. Weak sales this year came despite some companies extending their 618 sales period, according to Sytun's analysis, which covered over 20 platforms. Tmall, for instance, started offering its 618 deals as early as May 20 this year, as opposed to its typical May 31 start date.

Organizations: CNBC, PDD Holdings, Apple

WILL SHOPPERS FIND BLACK FRIDAY DEALS THIS YEAR? HOW MUCH ARE SHOPPERS EXPECTED TO SPEND? Spending online during Black Friday is expected to rise 5.7% to roughly $9.6 billion, according to Adobe. WHAT ARE RETAILERS DOING TO ATTRACT HOLIDAY SHOPPERS? Macy's CEO Jeff Gennette on Thursday said the competitive landscape has shifted to Black Friday deals prior to Black Friday.

Persons: Marcus Collins, Collins, Jane Hali, Max, Lancome mascaras, Bobbi Brown concealers, Dana Telsey, Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, David Bujnicki, Kimco, Jeff Gennette, Mattel, Steve Totzke, Juveria Tabassum, Savyata Mishra, Richa Naidu, Helen Reid, Herbert Lash, Josie Kao Organizations: Retailers, Department, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, Dollar, Walmart, Associates, Nordstrom, Adobe Analytics, Electronics, Mastercard, National Retail Federation, Telsey Advisory, Sensormatic Solutions, U.S, Black, REUTERS, Adobe, Labor, Kimco Realty Corp, Consumers, Deloitte, Reuters, Thomson Locations: U.S, Europe, Philadelphia, China, United States, Caracas, Venezuela, Panama, Israel, Sixth, Washington, Germany, India, Spain, United Kingdom, Bengaluru, London

☆ China's JD.com posts higher Q3 profit as supply snarls ease
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A sign of China's e-commerce company JD.com is seen at CES (Consumer Electronics Show) Asia 2016 in Shanghai, China, May 12, 2016. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 15 (Reuters) - Chinese e-commerce firm JD.com reported quarterly revenue below estimates on Wednesday, but posted a surge in profit as supply chain problems eased. JD.com has fewer popular livestreamers than its competitors, such as Austin Li, who exclusively streams on Alibaba Group's (9988.HK) platform. The company reported net revenue of 247.7 billion yuan ($34.19 billion) for the third quarter, missing analysts' average estimate of 249.26 billion yuan according to LSEG data. But it posted net income attributable to shareholders of 7.94 billion yuan, up 33% from 5.96 billion yuan a year earlier.

Persons: Aly, JD.com, Xu Ran, Austin Li, Alibaba's Tmall, Arsheeya Bajwa, Akash Sriram, Sophie Yu, Varun, Kim Coghill Organizations: CES, REUTERS, JD Retail, HK, Citi, Daiwa, Jefferies, PDD Holdings, Thomson Locations: Asia, Shanghai, China, Bengaluru, Beijing

☆ China’s Singles Day shows buyers’ commitment issue
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Chan Ka Sing | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Alibaba Group logo is seen during the company's 11.11 Singles' Day global shopping festival at their headquarters in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, November 11, 2020. The Singles Day sales period ended up with anemic growth in transactions, despite steep discounts by retailers. Alibaba (9988.HK), , the e-commerce giant behind Singles Day, used to hold a lavish gala in Shanghai to celebrate the consumption extravaganza. And China’s State Post Bureau said on Sunday that express delivery volume hit a record high during the Singles Day period, rising more than 23% between November 1 and November 11, compared to the previous year. Beijing may hope Chinese shoppers are more fatigued by the Singles Day’s barrage of promotions than consumption itself.

Persons: Aly, Xi, Taylor Swift, Alibaba, It’s, JD.com, Goldman Sachs, Francesco Guerrera, Thomas Shum Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, HK, Post Bureau, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Thomson Locations: Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, HONG KONG, Shanghai, Beijing

Data released on Thursday showing a drop in consumer prices to their lowest since the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the doubts in China's economic rebound after some months of indicators showing growth stabilising. China's big online shopping platforms did not release final sales figures for 2022, when analysts said COVID-19 restrictions inhibited spending and consumer confidence. Some indicators point to a slowdown in Singles Day sales. Data provider Syntun estimated e-commerce platforms sold 311 billion yuan of products from Oct. 31 to Nov. 3, a 7.1% decrease year-on-year. For Tan Jiapeng, a 35-year-old office worker in Beijing, his only Singles Day purchase so far has been a Descente winter jacket, an "essential purchase" for the winter.

Persons: Florence Lo, Jason Yu, Kantar, COVID, Bain, Jacob Cooke, Nomura, Tan Jiapeng, Tan, Casey Hall, Sophie Yu, Marius Zaharia Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, HK, PDD Holdings, Company, Technologies, Thomson Locations: Rights BEIJING, China, Beijing

Alibaba's Taobao and Tmall Group did not respond to a request for comment. This year's Singles Day event is also the first since Alibaba Group split into six business units. This view is supported by recent polls on social media where the majority of respondents said Singles Day was no longer necessary. Meara He, a 21-year-old student from Wenzhou, says she often shops using Douyin live-streams and this year, "doesn't care" about Singles Day as much. "In the past I would wait for Double 11 (Singles Day) and do some shopping, but this time I just plan to buy products that I need," she said.

Persons: Alibaba, Pinduoduo, Josh Gardner, Alibaba's, Ashley Dudarenok, AlixPartners, Douyin, Melody Zhao, Casey, Sophie Yu, Brenda Goh Organizations: PDD Holdings, Kungfu, Tmall, Administration, Market, ByteDance, Alibaba, Suisse, Industry, Hua Gui Food Group, Casey Hall, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, HK, China, Wenzhou, Shanghai, Beijing

The Chinese e-commerce giant saw sales rise 6-8% over the 618 festival period that ran from late May through to Sunday evening, according to a client note from Citi analysts. The festival, named after the founding date of JD.com but embraced by all e-commerce platforms, is a key barometer of Chinese consumer spending. JD.com has said it will not release its GMV for the festival period this year, only noting that sales hit a record - a milestone which was expected. Alibaba has also stopped releasing GMV figures for the so-called Singles Day shopping festival period in November in the face of slowing sales. Goldman Sachs analysts said in a client note that JD.com sales during 618 "slightly" exceeded expectations, while Jefferies analysts said the event "surpassed expectations and set new records."

Persons: brokerages, Syntun, Alibaba, JD.com, Goldman Sachs, Jefferies, Casey, Sophie Yu, Edwina Gibbs, Susan Fenton Organizations: HK, Citi, Alibaba, PDD Holdings, Casey Hall, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, Shanghai, Beijing

U.S. shoppers spent $35.27 billion online overall during Cyber Week, the period from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday. But the modest pickup trounced the paltry 2.9% increase in sales during China's Singles Day, an 11-day shopping festival ending November 11, hosted by Alibaba and other Chinese e-commerce firms. Originally, Singles Day was an unofficial Chinese holiday on Nov. 11 (11/11) to celebrate people who were not in relationships. These days, brands use Singles Day to clear inventory and experiment with new products. With the COVID-19 pandemic still raging in China, "it wont be fair to can compare" Singles Day with Cyber Week, Chernev said, as Americans are shopping with fewer restrictions.

☆ Alibaba mum on Singles Day sales tally, says in line with 2021
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( Casey Hall | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Singles Day growth this year had been widely predicted at flat to low single digits. Alibaba did not respond to requests for comment on its decision to avoid releasing figures on the 11-day sales event ended that ended on Friday. [1/4] A delivery worker sorts parcels at a makeshift logistics station ahead of Alibaba's Singles' Day shopping festival, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Shanghai, China, November 10, 2022. REUTERS/Aly Song 1 2 3 4Consultancy Syntun on Saturday estimated Alibaba and other Chinese e-commerce firms holding Singles Day shopping events together logged 934 billion yuan in sales, up 2.9%. The company's Tmall marketplace offered Singles Day deals on more than 17 million products, 3 million more than last year, with a record-matching 290,000 brands participating.

☆ No easy fix for China as economy slows more than expected
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Kevin Yao | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

China is on track to miss its annual growth target of around 5.5% - the latest Reuters poll forecast 2022 growth at 3.2%. Data on Thursday showed new bank lending in China fell more than expected in October from the previous month while broad credit growth slowed. Underscoring the weakness in domestic demand, factory gate prices for October dropped for the first time since December 2020. But the main near-term headwind remains China's zero-COVID policy, while the longer term drag remains domestic demand. read more"COVID curbs have greatly affected consumption and investment," said Wang Jun, director at China Chief Economist Forum.

[1/4] A delivery worker sorts parcels at a makeshift logistics station ahead of Alibaba's Singles' Day shopping festival, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Shanghai, China, November 10, 2022. REUTERS/Aly SongSHANGHAI, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Alibaba Group Holding (9988.HK) and other Chinese e-commerce firms holding Singles Day shopping events together logged a 4.7% decline in sales for the first 12 hours of the final day, a research firm said. Citi analysts said this week they were conservatively forecasting Alibaba's GMV for the event to range between 545 billion yuan and 560 billion yuan ($75 billion-$77 billion), growth of 0.9% to 3.6%. Yang Zengdong, 40, a teacher in Shanghai, said she had second thoughts about participating in Singles Day at all this year, but when the final sales period started on Thursday evening, she ended up purchasing about the same amount as last year. "I think it's something deep in the mind of Chinese people that if you don't buy on Singles Day, you are missing out on an opportunity," she said.

[1/4] A delivery worker sorts parcels at a makeshift logistics station ahead of Alibaba's Singles' Day shopping festival, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Shanghai, China, November 10, 2022. REUTERS/Aly SongSHANGHAI, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Alibaba Group Holding (9988.HK) and other Chinese e-commerce firms holding Singles Day shopping events together logged a 4.7% decline in sales for the first half of the final day, a research firm said. Chinese consultancy Syntun said it was estimating a combined 223 billion yuan ($31 billion) for the 12-hour time period. The Singles Day shopping festival, which despite its name has evolved into a multi-week event, is a key barometer of Chinese retail demand. Citi analysts said this week they were conservatively forecasting Alibaba's gross merchandise value (GMV) for the event to range between 545 billion yuan and 560 billion yuan ($75-77 billion), growth of 0.9% to 3.6%.

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