Singles' Day 11.11 Sales: What It Is and Are the Deals Real?

Updated 1 October 2026 · about 6 min read

Singles' Day, also called 11.11 or Double 11, is a shopping event held every November 11. It grew out of an informal Chinese student celebration of being single and became a massive sale after Alibaba ran a large promotion on November 11, 2009. In the US, the event is mostly driven by Asia-rooted platforms like AliExpress, Temu and Shein, not by traditional American retailers. Some 11.11 deals are real, but coupon-heavy pricing makes it easy to overpay, so compare the final price against what the item normally sells for.

Where Singles' Day came from

The date was chosen for its four ones, which stand for single people. The most widely cited origin story traces the idea to students at Nanjing University in the 1990s, who marked November 11 as a lighthearted alternative to Valentine's Day. That account is widely repeated, though some of the more detailed versions go beyond what the evidence clearly supports.

The commercial version started in 2009, when Alibaba ran a large-scale sale on its Taobao Mall platform (now Tmall) on November 11. Only a small number of merchants took part that first year. Over the following decade it grew into one of the largest shopping events in the world, with sales stretched across days or weeks of promotions leading up to the 11th.

Which platforms run 11.11 sales in the US

In 2026, November 11 falls on a Wednesday. For US shoppers, the 11.11 sales that matter most come from platforms with roots in Asian e-commerce:

  • AliExpress, Alibaba's international marketplace, treats 11.11 as one of its biggest events of the year. In 2025, it ran a warm-up period starting November 8 and a main sale from November 11 to 18, according to Slickdeals, with stackable platform, store and category coupons.
  • Temu runs 11.11 as one of its flagship sale windows across its low-price catalog.
  • Shein typically runs 11.11 pricing across fashion and home.
  • iHerb, the supplements retailer, regularly runs promotions around 11.11.
  • Travel platforms such as Trip.com, Agoda and Klook run 11.11 booking promotions, mostly strongest for travel in Asia.

Most traditional US retailers don't brand sales around Singles' Day. November 11 is also Veterans Day in the US, so you may see American retailers running Veterans Day sales on the same date. Those are separate events. Exact 2026 dates and terms for each platform's 11.11 sale may not be announced until shortly before; check each site for current details.

How 11.11 deals work

Singles' Day pricing is rarely a single clean discount. It usually combines several layers:

  • Platform coupons from the marketplace itself, often with minimum spend thresholds.
  • Store coupons from individual sellers on the marketplace.
  • Category or "select" coupons for specific product types.
  • Flash deals and countdown timers on specific items.
  • Warm-up periods where you're encouraged to add items to your cart, collect coupons or pay deposits ahead of the main day.

That layering can produce good prices. It also makes it hard to know what you're paying until checkout, and minimum spend thresholds nudge you into adding items you didn't plan to buy.

Are Singles' Day deals real?

Some are. Many aren't as good as they look. A few patterns to watch for:

Inflated reference prices. "Up to 90% off" claims are common on marketplace platforms, and the crossed-out price is often set by individual sellers. A product listed at $80 "regular" and $12 on sale may have sold for $12 or close to it most of the year.

Price increases before the sale. On any big sale event, some sellers raise prices in the weeks beforehand so the event discount looks bigger. Checking what the item sold for in October is the simplest defense.

Coupons that require bigger carts. A coupon that saves a few dollars once you spend over a threshold isn't a deal if it makes you buy extra things you didn't need.

Shipping and returns. Low-price marketplaces may have longer delivery times, and returning items to overseas sellers can be slower or more complicated. Check the platform's current shipping and return terms before you buy anything you might need to send back.

Quality differences. Many items on these platforms are generic or lookalike versions of brand-name products. The low price may reflect lower quality rather than a discount. Our guide on whether dupes are worth it covers when that trade-off makes sense.

None of this means 11.11 deals are fake across the board. Coupon stacking during the event can produce prices that are lower than you'd find the rest of the year, especially on small accessories, phone cases, craft supplies, hobby gear and household gadgets.

How to check an 11.11 deal

Before you buy, run through a few questions:

  1. Is the same product sold elsewhere? Many items on AliExpress, Temu and Shein are also sold on Amazon, Walmart.com or eBay, sometimes under different brand names. Compare the final price, including shipping and taxes.
  2. What did it sell for recently? The useful comparison is the item's typical recent price, not the seller's list price.
  3. What's the unit price? Multipacks and bundles are common. Divide by the count to compare fairly.
  4. What's the delivery time? If you need it for a specific date, a slightly higher price with faster shipping may be the better deal.
  5. Will Black Friday be cheaper? Black Friday 2026 is November 27, just over two weeks later. Many platforms run sales again then.

For items with a barcode, Priced makes the cross-store check quick: scan or search the product to see the street price across sellers, the unit price, and where the current price sits against its own recent range. If an 11.11 price beats the street price elsewhere and sits at the low end of the range, it's a real deal.

For a closer look at how Temu prices compare with Amazon generally, see is Temu cheaper than Amazon.

Singles' Day vs Black Friday

Because 11.11 comes about two weeks before Black Friday, it's tempting to treat it as an early start on holiday shopping. That can work for small items you'd buy from these platforms anyway. For brand-name electronics, appliances and toys, the major US retailers usually save their deepest cuts for the Black Friday to Cyber Monday window. Our Black Friday buying guide covers which categories tend to be strongest then.

Common questions

When is Singles' Day 2026?

Singles' Day is November 11 every year, which falls on a Wednesday in 2026. Platforms often start warm-up promotions a few days earlier and some extend sales for several days afterward.

Does Amazon have a Singles' Day sale?

Amazon US doesn't typically run a branded Singles' Day sale. Its big fall events are Prime Big Deal Days in October and Black Friday through Cyber Monday. In the US, 11.11 sales come mainly from platforms like AliExpress, Temu and Shein.

Is Singles' Day bigger than Black Friday?

In China, Singles' Day grew into a far larger event than Black Friday. In the US, it's much smaller and mostly limited to specific platforms, while Black Friday remains the main shopping event of the season.

Are 11.11 deals better than Black Friday deals?

For cheap accessories and generic items on AliExpress, Temu or Shein, 11.11 can be one of the best times to buy. For brand-name products from US retailers, Black Friday through Cyber Monday is usually stronger. Compare the item's price history either way.