China’s annual Double 11 shopping festival, once characterized by frenzied online shopping and record-breaking sales, has become noticeably quieter this year as consumers tighten their spending and smaller retailers struggle to attract buyers.
Double 11 is China’s unofficial “Single’s Day,” falling on Nov. 11 (11/11), with the number one in the date being a reference to being single. The date has developed into one of the largest e-commerce shopping days in the world.
Nevertheless, several Chinese e-commerce merchants told The Epoch Times that sales have fallen short of expectations, with some receiving almost no orders despite offering substantial discounts. Merchants cited weaker consumer purchasing power, growing competition from major brands, and the proliferation of promotional events throughout the year as reasons for the slowdown. They spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisal.
Data from Chinese market research firm Syntun showed that gross merchandise volume (GMV) across major e-commerce platforms grew just 2.4 percent year over year during the first phase of this year’s Double 11 promotions, which ran from Oct. 7 to Oct. 31. Growth was 14.2 percent during the same period last year.
An e-commerce business owner, identified by the pseudonym Qian Cheng, told The Epoch Times that this year’s sales had been particularly disappointing. Between Oct. 8 and Oct. 11, his business received virtually no orders.
“We finally got one order, but it was eventually canceled,” he said.
Qian said his company had already reduced the price of one product promoted through paid advertising to nearly its production cost. Even though the platform offered customers a coupon subsidy, the promotion failed to generate purchases.
Another e-commerce business owner, identified by the pseudonym Zhang Yi, told The Epoch Times he had traditionally regarded November as the busiest period of the year. Business had already been weak during China’s Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays in early October, and he had hoped Double 11 would reverse the trend.
Instead, sales remained sluggish.
Zhang said customers who purchased products from his company for resale were also reporting poor business conditions.
“Many customers said that even after signing up for promotional campaigns, they weren’t getting much traffic. The traffic has basically been taken by major brands,” he said.
The difficulties facing smaller merchants come amid broader weakness in China’s consumer market. According to China’s National Bureau of Statistics, retail sales of consumer goods increased just 1.1 percent year over year during the first nine months of 2026. Online retail sales grew 3.8 percent.
The official statistics also showed declines in several major spending categories, including automobiles, furniture, and household appliances, suggesting that consumers remain cautious about discretionary purchases.
The World Bank’s October 2026 East Asia and Pacific Economic Update also identified weak consumption as a continuing challenge for China. It said retail sales decreased by an average of 4 percent year over year between April and July, partly because the impact of government consumer-goods subsidies was fading. The report also cited weakness in the property market as a factor weighing on economic activity.
Year-Round Discounts
A man who has worked in China’s e-commerce industry for more than a decade, identified by the pseudonym Zhao Lei, told The Epoch Times that weaker purchasing power and increasing competition were among the main reasons for this year’s disappointing sales.
He also pointed to the growing frequency of promotional campaigns, which he said had reduced the appeal of Double 11.
In previous years, the shopping festival stood out as an opportunity for consumers to secure major discounts. Now, e-commerce platforms organize promotions throughout the year, from New Year sales and Valentine’s Day campaigns to brand-specific events and special subsidy programs.
“For consumers, almost every day is a promotional day,” Zhao said.
The extended promotional calendar has weakened the sense of urgency that once made Double 11 distinctive, he said.
For smaller retailers, the slowdown is forcing changes to business strategies.
Zhao said he had expected his company to complete 500 to 600 orders in the second half of the year, but now expects only about 400, fewer than in previous years.
“Next year will be even harder because more and more people are entering this industry. Expanding the business further is no longer possible. It will be very difficult,” he said.
Zhao said his business had previously relied on selling large quantities of products to generate profits. With fewer customers making purchases, he is now trying to increase the profit margin on individual orders instead.
“The era of winning through volume is over. I can only try to increase the profit on each order,” he said.
The changing shopping habits and increasingly crowded e-commerce market have left many smaller merchants struggling to maintain sales. For some, the immediate goal is no longer expansion but simply keeping their businesses running.
Hong Ning contributed to this report.
