Are you single?

Don’t worry, we’re not really asking about your relationship status! We have the upcoming unofficial Chinese holiday Singles’ Day on our mind. In case you didn’t know, Singles’ Day (November 11) is the largest online shopping day in the world. In fact, as you’ll read below, it puts Black Friday to shame.

China is not only home to booming online sales though. It is also home to a soaring population of singles. According to data from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, there are approximately 240 million singles in China. This means China currently has the largest single population in the world.

So, on Singles’ Day, all of these singles (and everyone else, really) can indulge in some self-care. They can treat themselves to gifts in the form of fashion, beauty, meals, electronics, and more at the most tempting discounts on major e-commerce platforms like Alibaba’s Taobao and JD.com.

It’s not your traditional online shopping experience either. Over the past several years, online shopping has merged with entertainment to create “shoppertainment”. As this recent McKinsey article shares, the approach involves “linking up an online livestream broadcast with an e-commerce store to allow viewers to watch and shop at the same time.” This new sales channel is transforming China’s retail industry as consumers go crazy seeking out the live-streaming of their favorite influencers and then engage through chat, reaction functions, and hopefully instant purchasing!

Learn more and check out some key Singles’ Day numbers in the infographic below: