November 11th is Singles Day, a day where people across the world celebrate being, well, single. It’s the unofficial Chinese holiday that’s won over hearts globally: it’s all about treating *yourself*, hanging out with pals and indulging in the things you love. Yep, it’s kind of the anti-Valentine’s Day you didn’t know you needed. 

Singles Day started as small-scale self-love celebrations in China back in the 90s, but has since grown into the biggest international shopping day of the year. On Singles Day 2009, Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba launched a 24-hour shopping event, offering huge discounts on its platforms during a usually slow sales period, and cashing in on an already nationally known day of celebration. Year on year brands, artists and initiatives have joined in on the Singles Day success, and now it’s bigger than Black Friday and Cyber Monday. In 2024 Singles Day is estimated to have generated $199 billion in sales (yep you read that right).  

It all started in a Chinese dorm room back in the 90s. Stay with me. In 1993, four single friends at Nanjing University in China decided to celebrate their relationship status and own their singleness! They chose the date of 11/11 to mark Singles Day, as the four ones represent four single people next to each other. What started as university events for single people, soon snowballed into a day of celebration all across China, and soon — the world. 

Yet many brands outside of China still don’t have Singles Day on their radar, and so are missing out on the huge potential this day offers. Read on to find out how brands can spread the love, and get involved in Singles Day 2025.

How can brands get involved in Singles Day?

If you’re looking to boost sales, brand visibility and connect with consumers all across the globe, then this is your sign to get involved with Singles Day 2025. Here are some of the ways brands can engage with this self-love-filled shopathon of a day.

Start small: Social media

If you’re new to the Singles Day sensation, start small. Create posts for social media which promote your products or services, and make sure to add the text ‘Singles Day’ to the first image. 

Add some hashtags too. Think #Singlesday, #Singlesday2025 and #Singlesdaysale. This will help bring in new viewers who might not usually interact with your brand, and who are already invested in the ethos and festivities of Singles Day. This will hopefully lead to new sales, followers and conversations! 

Refurbed did this to a tee in Singles Day 2023, sharing an eye-catching post which showed they were involved in the Singles Day celebrations, promoting their money-saving deals. Wanna add some cute shopping graphics to your Singles Day social media posts? We got you.

Go bigger: Flash sales and promo codes

Another way for brands to join in with the Singles Day celebrations, is to do a 24-hour flash sale. This might not be an option for every brand, and that’s okay! If you are in a position to offer discounts, take inspiration from some of these creative brands below.

On Singles Day 2024, Lovehoney got in on the action and offered a discount of 11% across everything on their website for 24 hours. This is a clever way to celebrate 11/11, the date of Singles Day. Absurd, the Italian Gen Z beauty brand, also offered a Singles Day secret promotion for all orders over €11 — a simple yet inventive way to celebrate this date. Applying discounts that involve the number 11 are a great way for brands to join in on the self-lovin’ day. 

Brands can also create custom promo codes for Singles Day that *align* with their core audiences. Berlin-based Broke+Schön did this perfectly for Singles Day 2023, where they created the one-day code of ‘GIRLBOSS20’, offering 20% off to their community. This is an easy way of rewarding your community, potentially introducing many customers to the Singles Day phenomenon, whilst staying on brand. What a win-win.

Think longer: Multi-day festivals

Having a sale for just 24 hours does create a window of exclusivity for buyers, but some brands like to turn Singles Day into more of a multi-day festival. For Singles Day 2024 in Austria, Kiehl’s offered 11 gifts (yep, 11), for purchases over €111, when buyers used code ‘SINGLESDAY’. This offer ran from November 1st-11th, turning a single day event into an 11-day party.

This campaign also gave time for potential customers to think before they buy. More conscious consumerism around Singles Day is a great thing, and definitely food for thought for all brands hoping to join the single pringle celebrations this year.

Get interactive: Livestreaming and collaborations

Livestreaming is another great way for brands to get involved in Singles Day this year. Why not collaborate with an aligned brand and host talks and events? You’ll be able to tap into your collaborators consumer base, and boost brand visibility to new heights. 

For Singles Day 2022, L’Oréal Pakistan changed the game, by presenting a live virtual beauty gameshow like no other. They collaborated with four major ecommerce platforms in Pakistan, to stream the event across multiple channels. Reaching thousands of engaged, switched-on and ready to buy consumers. The hosts ran interactive games, distributed gifts, and added a social and community-focus to a day which at its core is all about connection. Brands, take notes.

Make it real: Physical activations and events

Another way to get involved with Singles Day 2025, is to stage real life brand activations and events. These can be part of a bigger digital campaign too, but having physical events will help your brand to stand out from the crowd on 11.11. L’Oréal Paris went big for Singles Day 2019, partnering with Alibaba to project their promotions onto the Arc de Triomphe. Talk about making a statement. L’Oréal went on to make over $140 million for Singles Day 2019. 

So why not use Singles Day 2025 as an excuse to bring people together? Stage a day party, a craft-focused event or a sporty get together, and help people feel less alone. Take inspo from Singapore-based Odyssey Boards, who for Singles Day 2023 hosted the ‘Broken Hearts Skate Club’, a cruise and community dinner for skaters to meet and have fun. 

If you’re feeling inspired, check out these cute Singles Day icons and website banners, and get creating to help spread the word about your event! Bring your community together this Singles Day.

It’s worth noting that for countries like the UK, Belgium and the US the 11th of November is also Armistice and Veteran’s Day, it’s important to be aware of this. That doesn’t mean that brands working in these countries can’t take part in Singles Day, but it’s important to be informed about the history and sensitivity of what 11/11 can mean to various demographics and consumers.

FAQs

What is Singles Day?

Singles day is an international day for celebrating single people, and indulging in self-love. It’s become the biggest online shopping day of the year. Originating in China in the 90s, Singles Day is about celebrating single pringles, and treating yourself.

When is Singles Day 2025?

This year Singles Day is on Tuesday, November 11th, 2025.

Why is 11/11 Singles Day?

11/11 represents 4 single people standing alone, and honours the four single friends who created this day back in 1993!

What are Singles Day sales?

Singles Day sales are special promotions and discounts that brands offer on November 11th. Shoppers can find deals across e-commerce platforms, social media, brand websites, and even pop-up events, making it the biggest online shopping day of the year.

How big is Singles Day compared to Black Friday?

Singles Day dwarfs Black Friday. In 2024, Singles Day generated an estimated $199 billion in sales globally, while Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined brought in roughly $75 billion. It’s not even close.

Do I need to be in China to participate in Singles Day?

Not at all. While Singles Day originated in China, it’s now a global phenomenon. Brands and shoppers from around the world participate, with major sales happening across Asia, Europe, North America, and beyond.

Can small brands participate in Singles Day?

Absolutely. You don’t need a massive budget. Start with social media posts using hashtags like #SinglesDay and #SinglesDay2025, or offer a simple promotion like 11% off. The key is showing up and making your participation visible.

What kind of promotions work best for Singles Day?

The most successful promotions lean into the number 11: 11% off, buy-one-get-one for €11, or tiered discounts for orders over $111. Flash sales (24 hours), multi-day festivals (November 1-11), and creative promo codes also perform well.

If you’re feeling in the mood to get started on your Singles Day campaign, check out this quick-start guide to content marketing. And to make sure your marketing is inclusive this Singles Day, check out this article on how to create more inclusive content. Need Singles Day graphics? Cute shopping icons? We got you, just head to the unlimited libraries of Envato.