Your Ultimate Guide to November’s Major Online Shopping Event, Single’s Day (UPDATED)

Singles’ Day is arguably the biggest shopping date on the online retail calendar with half a billion customers participating worldwide. While less well-known in Australia, the event is starting to gain traction with plenty of local retailers offering Singles’ Day deals of their own.

Some of the best Single’s Days 2020 deals happening right now include saving 11% off fashion and beauty at Harvey Nichols using SINGLESDAYHN at checkout (or save 22% when you spend over $800). You can also save up to 51% on Lelo sex toys.

When is Singles Day 2020? 

Singles Day takes place every year on the 11th November. Apparently, this date was chosen because the number ‘1’ resembles an individual who is alone (11.11). It started back in 2009 and has been going strong ever since. 

What is Singles Day? 

Singles’ Day (AKA Guanggun Jie) is an annual online shopping event originating in China and hosted by the e-Commerce giant Alibaba. It’s origin story comes from a group of Chinese university students who exchanged gifts as part of an anti-Valentine’s Day gesture. It wasn’t long before retailers wanted in on the action, and Singles Day was born. While nominally a sale for singles, the deals can obviously be enjoyed by anyone who loves a good bargain. 

Last year, Alibaba recorded $38.4 billion USD revenue globally over the 24-hour sale period. The online shopping extravaganza has overtaken Black Friday and Cyber Monday in the US, so you could say it’s a pretty big deal. 

Every year, there’s a live-streamed gala to kick off the 24-hour festivities, with Taylor Swift appearing as the headlining act last year. Previous headliners have included Mariah Carey and our very own Nicole Kidman. 

Is it popular in Australia? 

Singles Day grows in popularity every year in Australia. Last year, Aussie shoppers racked up 3.2 million clicks in 24 hours, so if that doesn’t prove our enthusiasm we don’t know what does. 

Australian retailers like AliExpress, ASOS, eBay, Catch and Harvey Norman are all gearing up to take part this year. It’s the perfect opportunity to get your Christmas shopping out of the way early (and save yourself some major cash in the process). 

What deals will be included? 

• The Iconic: 15% off selected Beauty and Wellness, begins November 10, ends November 13.
• ASOS: 30% off everything with the code ASOSBAE.
• Cotton On: 30% off site wide.
• Shopbop: Save up to 20% off full price items with the code DOUBLE11. Begins October 30, ends November 12.
• boohoo: 50% off everything and an extra 11% with code SINGLE.
• Net-A-Porter: Save 22% off selected items with the code SINGLES22. Begins October 27, ends November 11.
• Modibodi: 10% off orders over $100 (valid for new customers only, code is FIND20)
• LELO: Use the code SD2020 to get up to 51% off sexual wellness goodies. Begins November 9, ends November 13.
• The Outnet: Get an extra 22% off designer clothing with the code SINGLES22. Begins November 2, ends November 11.
• iHerb: Save 22% off your order with the code DOUBLE11. Begins November 9, ends November 11.
• Princess Polly: $25 off orders $99 and up. Begins November 10, ends November 12.
• Banggood: Up to 70% off big brands including Lenovo and Xiaomi. Ends November 12.
• Myer: 40% off watches by Olivia Burton, Christian Paul, Cluse, Pierre Lannier, Bering, Disney and Maxum. Ends November 12.
• AliExpress: Up to 70% off.
• La Mer: Receive a 5mL Genaissance de la Mer Serum Essence and 7mL Creme de la Mer (valued at over $200) with $650 orders, using code ELEVEN20. Begins November 9, ends November 11.
• Jo Malone: With all orders over $130 receive a Miniature Pomegranate Noir Candle using code CANDLELIGHT. Begins November 10, ends November 12.
• Shaver Shop: Save up to 80% off. Ends November 15.
• Echt: Save up to 60% off storewide. Begins November 9, ends November 11.
• Quay: Buy one, get one free. Begins November 10, ends November 11.

How do I make the most of these deals? 

With any online shopping event, preparation is key. 

Before the big day, you’d be wise to create accounts for every website you’re interested in purchasing from. Many online retailers require shoppers to have accounts with their bank details and address for faster checkouts. Have a look at each retailer’s requirements beforehand to ensure you’re ready to go. 

It’s also a good idea to create wish lists across your retailers with all the products you hope to save on. That way, come the 11th, you can check your wish list to see if any of the items are on sale instead of trawling through the entire website. Urgency is key and it’ll be a race to the checkout so you’ll want to be as quick as possible. 

How can I find out about the offers? 

Check back here frequently as we’ll be updating the page with offers as they appear. It’s common for retailers to announce sales before the 11th so you’ll want to have your finger tightly on the pulse. Happy shopping!