Singles' Day

Content Guide

• What is Singles' Day?
• When is Singles' Day?
• Best Singles' Day deals
• Singles' Day vs Black Friday
• FAQ

What is Singles' Day?

Singles' Day began in the 1990s at Nanjing University in China, where a group of students picked the date 11/11 — four solitary "1"s — as a light-hearted celebration of being single.

Alibaba later turned the date into a full-blown shopping festival, and it has since grown into the world's biggest 24-hour online sale event, with retailers everywhere from Shanghai to London taking part.

In the UK the event is still newer than Black Friday, but more shoppers are treating Singles' Day discounts as an early chance to grab decent savings before the pre-Christmas rush, whether that means a new phone, a beauty restock or a wardrobe refresh.

When is Singles' Day 2026?

Singles' Day always falls on the same date: 11 November, which in 2026 is a Wednesday.

Some retailers stick to the single day, but several — AliExpress among them — stretch their promotions into a longer window, starting a few days before the 11th and running through to the following week, sometimes rolling straight into the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales in late November.

Where to find the best Singles' Day deals

Deals this year span a handful of clear categories, from everyday tech to beauty essentials, so it's worth checking each one rather than assuming a single retailer will cover everything.

Tech and Electronics

Electronics remain one of the strongest categories on the day. The AliExpress 11.11 sale usually leads the way, covering phones, headphones and smart home gadgets, often with price cuts of up to 80%, while Amazon joins in with its own reductions across similar tech accessories. Buyers ordering from China-based marketplaces should factor in a longer delivery window and potential customs charges before checkout.

Fashion and Accessories

Clothing and footwear see some of the highest search interest around the event. ASOS typically applies a sitewide Singles' Day discount across womenswear, menswear and accessories, while Boohoo brings out its own dedicated discount code for extra savings on dresses, loungewear and going-out pieces. Nike, meanwhile, tends to keep its usual markdowns on trainers and sportswear running throughout the same window, giving shoppers a wider spread of styles to choose from beyond the two fashion retailers.

Beauty and Skincare

Beauty has become one of the fastest-growing categories tied to the event, driven largely by skincare and self-care buys. MAC Cosmetics tends to offer a MAC Singles' Day sale on makeup staples, while The Perfume Shop and Sephora are also worth checking for reductions on skincare and cosmetics.

Singles' Day vs Black Friday

Singles' Day and Black Friday sit close together on the sales calendar, and it's worth treating them as two separate opportunities rather than waiting for the bigger, more familiar event.

Prices on specific items — particularly tech from Chinese marketplaces and beauty restocks — can actually be lower during the 11.11 Singles’ Day sale than they are a few weeks later, so checking both dates before buying is the safest way to catch the better price.

FAQ about Singles’ Day sales

• When do the Singles' Day offers start?

Most promotions go live on or just before 11 November, though some retailers, such as AliExpress, extend their offers across a week or more either side of the date.

• Is Singles' Day only for single people?

No — despite the origin as an "anti-Valentine's" celebration, today it's a general shopping event open to anyone looking for a discount, regardless of relationship status.

• Do UK retailers really take part in Singles' Day?

Yes. While it's still less widely recognised than Black Friday, a growing number of UK and international retailers now run dedicated promotions, discount codes and flash sales around the date.