Every November, China’s Double 11 (双11) shopping festival – once a frenzy of flashing coupons and cart-busting discounts – returns as the world’s largest retail event. But in 2025, Double 11 feels different. The 24-hour sale that became a byword for impulse consumption has evolved into something steadier and more strategic. Platforms are no longer chasing records for the sake of headlines. They’re chasing efficiency, sustainability, and brand equity.
A longer, smarter Double 11
Double 11 used to be a sprint. Now, it’s a marathon. What was once a single day of shopping now stretches into weeks, with some retailers running sales for a full month. The extended window gives merchants breathing room to manage logistics and pricing without flash-sale chaos. For consumers, it means more time to compare, evaluate, and buy with intention. Chinese shoppers are less content to buy at all costs. They seem to have become more rational, value driven and less impulsive with their buying habits.
Behind the calmer surface lies a sophisticated layer of AI. This year, artificial intelligence has become the invisible engine driving competition. Alibaba (阿里巴巴), JD.com (京东), and Pinduoduo (拼多多) are using machine learning to optimise almost everything: from how coupons are distributed, to which products are shown to which users, to how warehouses route packages. Some reports even suggest robot delivery agents are joining the logistics chain – a quiet signal of how far the festival’s tech backbone has come.
JD says over 90-95% of first-party orders are delivered within 24 hours in China, while Alibaba’s AI-powered merchant tools helped small sellers predict demand spikes and adjust stock in real time. The message is clear: Double 11 is no longer just about who can sell the most, but who can operate the smartest.
What to watch next
Globalisation is one emerging storyline. Bain & Company has described 2025 as the year Double 11 ‘goes global.’ Platforms like AliExpress and JD Worldwide are actively targeting overseas consumers through translated interfaces, international shipping, and cross-border promotions. The play is twofold: capture new audiences abroad, and give Chinese brands a global stage.
At home, meanwhile, that shift in consumer mentality has pushed brands to compete less on raw discounting and more on craftsmanship, after-sales service, and storytelling. The big question will be how the numbers stack up when sales close. China’s economy has been sluggish in recent years but is showing signs of growth. Will it be enough to nudge consumers to hit the buy button?
As for persuasion to buy, livestreaming remains the heartbeat of sales. In 2024, livestream e-commerce GMV (gross merchandise value) reached RMB 332.5 billion, up 54.6% year-on-year – a reminder that trust and charisma still convert more effectively than banners and pop-ups. Increasingly, influencers are blending product showcases with entertainment formats, from shop-along travel streams to reality-style brand collabs, extending Double 11 into culture as much as commerce.
Offline activity is another subplot to watch. JD.com and Alibaba are both deepening ties with physical retailers, an echo of China’s local-life platform push. Expect to see Double 11 spill beyond the screen, with supermarket tie-ins, QR-linked receipts, and pop-up experiences converting offline shoppers into online participants. The new frontier of e-commerce may be hybrid: digital-first but connected to the high street.
The calm after the storm
Fifteen years on, Double 11 no longer needs fireworks to prove its dominance. Its scale is already beyond question. What’s at stake now is sustainability and sophistication. From AI logistics to low-carbon packaging to global expansion, the sales festival has become a testbed for China’s retail innovation.
In that sense, Double 11 2025 feels less like a shopping spree and more like a systems check: a quiet demonstration that Chinese e-commerce can grow not just bigger, but wiser. The frenzy may have faded, but in its place stands something stronger: a retail machine built for endurance, not excess.
