(Yicai) Nov. 2 -- Chinese shopping platforms, including Alibaba’s Tmall, JD.Com, and Pinduoduo, have released sales data for the start of the Double 11 retail festival showing that consumption is buoyant and e-commerce is having a spillover effect on the real economy.

On Tmall, 29 live studios and 155 brands, including Apple, Haier, Huawei, Fila, Xiaomi, and Nike, have had turnover of more than CNY100 million (USD13.7 million) each since the platform kicked off Double 11 began at 8 p.m. on Oct. 31, its data showed yesterday. 

Almost 30 brands had sales in excess of CNY1 billion (USD136.7 million) each on JD.Com since the e-commerce giant launched Double 11 promotions on Oct. 23. Nearly 15,000 brands logged a more than six-fold jump in turnover from a year earlier, while the volume of business at almost 9,000 brands surging over 10 times.

According to Pinduoduo’s data, more than 20 categories saw sales growth double in the first three days of this year’s event, with makeup from Chinese vendors and new apparel goods the top categories for the number of goods included in its CNY10 billion (USD1.4 billion) subsidy program. Sales of products by Kweichow Moutai, Wuliangye Yibin, and other Chinese liquor makers more than doubled from a year ago, benefiting from their efforts to cater to younger consumers. 

Suning.Com's physical stores welcomed 60 percent more visitors between Oct. 20 and Nov. 1 as compared with the same period last year, with a 115 percent jump in young shoppers. The value of washer and dryer combo, whole-house water filter systems, and central air-conditioners sold soared by over four times. 

Meituan, Alibaba's Ele.me, and other on-demand service platforms also joined the Double 11 shopping festival, bolstering consumption of offline products and services.

Meituan's flash sales campaign for the event will last from Oct. 24 to Nov. 12 and increase the types of goods available by 56 percent from a year ago, with over 800,000 stores taking part. Ele.me’s campaign enables shoppers to buy 110,000 'good products' for just 1 Chinese cent each.

Ele.me also launched discount daily events for 10 categories, including paper products, grain and oil, mother and baby goods, dairy products, and snacks. Apple and Xiaomi joined the platform this year and made their new handset models available on launch day, discounting the iPhone 15 and Xiaomi 14 series during the Double 11 festival. 

According to a survey released on Oct. 31 by US consultants AlixPartners, nearly half of the 2,000 respondents are likely to spend more this year than last over Double 11, while 62 percent said they will spend at least CNY3,000 (USD410), up 11 percentage points.

Started in 2009 by e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding, the Double 11 shopping festival, which is also known as Singles' Day, is one of the world’s biggest online shopping events. It takes place each year on Nov. 11, hence the name Double 11.

“This year marks the first Singles' Day post-pandemic where consumption returns to normal levels,” said Britton Russell, partner and China lead for the consumer and retail practice at AlixPartners. 

“We are seeing stronger sentiment and spending, evidenced by the 18 percent increase in total spending compared to 2022, more than three times last year's growth,” he added. However, brands need to be more intentional and targeted in order to differentiate and to generate the greatest returns this Singles' Day.”

Editor: Martin Kadiev