Singles Day to gain in importance according to study
According to a study by Profital, interest in Singles Day, which takes place on November 11, has risen once again. Even consumers who were not aware of the shopping day want to take advantage of the special offers - both online and in stores.
Awareness of the shopping day has risen from 19 to 31 percent compared with the previous year, the study shows. At 37 percent, awareness among men is higher than among women (25 percent). Of the more than 2,000 respondents, 61 percent intend to take advantage of the special offers. 94 percent of consumers who shopped on Singles Day 2020 plan to do so again this year. "Earlier studies by Profital have shown that Swiss consumers are very keen on bargains. It therefore comes as no surprise to us that Singles Day is becoming increasingly well-known and the offers are being actively used," says Profital Managing Director Raphael Thommen.
Offer search predominantly via mobile devices
Information about special offers is obtained primarily via digital channels: 77 percent use mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets for this purpose. Printed brochures play a role for 11 percent, and PCs for 7 percent. 22 percent of consumers have specific products in mind that they would like to buy on Singles Day. However, the majority (78 percent) say they want to be inspired by promotions and are prepared to make impulse purchases. Online stores and stationary stores play an equally important role. 23 percent only want to shop online, 30 percent only in stores - almost half want to use both channels. "The trend toward hybrid shopping continues," says Thommen. "The smartphone is also gaining strongly in importance - especially when it comes to shopping planning."
Price and quality decisive, sustainability and brand less so
When it comes to the question of which categories are at the top of the shopping list, it has compared to the previous year little changed: Fashion items remain the most popular in 2021: 67 percent want to stock up on clothing, shoes and accessories. Food (61 percent) and electrical appliances (50 percent) are also in high demand. A clear trend also emerges when asked about the most important purchasing criteria: While sustainability (20 percent) and the brand (19 percent) play a subordinate role, quality is decisive for 75 percent of respondents. However, big discounts are the biggest draw: For 82 percent of respondents, price plays the central role.
The Profital study examines information and purchasing behavior on Singles Day for the second time since 2020. A total of 2086 users of the Profital app throughout Switzerland were surveyed. The online survey took place between October 7 and 18, 2021.
In individual regions of China, since the 1990s, 11.11. is the Singles Day celebrated, which is to symbolize the uniqueness of singles. Through the Internet, the tradition became more and more famous. Companies are increasingly using the day to run special offers. According to Profital, Singles Day is now the biggest shopping day of the year worldwide - ahead of Black Friday.
