This blog was updated on 16 April 2025, for more information connect with our team: https://www.easystore.co/contact 

How the Record-Breaking 11.11 Sale Shaped E-commerce Trends

The Singles’ Day Sale, widely known as the 11.11 Sale, made global headlines when Alibaba Group reported a staggering US$30 billion in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) — surpassing the previous year’s US$25 billion, though with a slower growth rate.

This online shopping festival also captured significant attention in Malaysia, as multiple e-commerce players rolled out extravagant deals and promotions. 

To better understand the local impact, iPrice conducted an analysis to uncover how the 11.11 Sale influenced consumer behavior, offering insights for businesses to better prepare for future mega sale events.

Midnight Shopping Frenzy

On 11 November, online traffic surged by 47% compared to a similar period in the previous month. 

Shoppers started hunting for deals as early as 9:00 PM on 10 November — notably earlier than in 2017, when interest typically picked up only after 11:00 PM.

This spike was largely driven by aggressive marketing campaigns from e-commerce giants like Lazada, which hosted a star-studded live event to kick off its sale. 

Similarly, Shopee, 11street, FashionValet, and others launched their own promotional campaigns to capture early attention.

E-commerce platforms also encouraged shoppers to save items in their carts ahead of time, prompting an earlier rush to secure deals once the clock struck midnight.

At 12:00 AM on 11 November, online traffic soared by 86%, causing temporary payment gateway issues on major platforms like Lazada, Shopee, and 11street — a clear sign of the sale’s overwhelming popularity.

Tapping Into Last-Minute Shopping Habits

According to the whitepaper The State of E-commerce, online traffic typically dips on weekends compared to weekdays — but 11 November 2018 bucked that trend.

Shoppers began browsing deals from 8:00 AM, with traffic staying high throughout the day and peaking at 8:00 PM — a unique behavior compared to 2017, where traffic remained steady by evening.

This shift was likely influenced by time-limited promotions, flash sales, and live shows hosted by platforms like Lelong and 11street, strategically driving surges in traffic around specific times.

As in previous years, last-minute shopping remained a major trend, with a sharp increase in online activity from 8:00 PM to 12:00 AM as consumers scrambled to catch the final deals before the sale ended.

Most Popular Promotion-Related Searches

In terms of online search behavior, promotion-related keywords dominated, particularly for airlines, supermarkets, and food & beverage deals.

• 46% of the top keywords were airline promotions, with terms like ‘AirAsia’, ‘Malindo Air’, and ‘Malaysia Airlines’ leading the way.

• Supermarket promotions also drew high interest, with searches for ‘AEON Big’, ‘Tesco’, ‘Giant’, and ‘Econsave’.

• In the food and beverage category, popular search terms included ‘Secret Recipe’, ‘Starbucks’, ‘Sukiya’, and ‘KFC’.

This expert analysis was provided by iPrice Group.

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