Alibaba and the magic of Singles’ Day

Please note: This item is from our archives and was published in 2019. It is provided for historical reference. The content may be out of date and links may no longer function.

A screen shows the value of goods being transacted during Alibaba's Singles' Day global shopping festival at the company's headquarters in Hangzhou, China, 12 November 2019.

A screen shows the value of goods being transacted during Alibaba's Singles' Day global shopping festival at the company's headquarters in Hangzhou, China, 12 November 2019.

China’s most valuable tech company, Alibaba, may have invented Singles’ Day — the world’s largest online shopping event — but in recent years, the event has expanded beyond Alibaba’s platforms and even China’s borders to include JD.com, Pinduoduo, Amazon, and South-east Asian e-commerce platform Lazada. Here’s an inside look at how Alibaba delivered 1 billion parcels in 2.5 days, and its creative strategies to sustain double-digit growth of a shopping event now in its 11th year. For management accountants, a question worth pondering is: How will such swipe, click, and pay mobile-first culture alter expectations on your organisations’ customer experience?

Up Next

IAASB proposes revisions to review engagements standard

By Steph Brown
May 7, 2026
The board opened a consultation on the proposed amendments, which include enhanced requirements for going concern disclosures.
Advertisement

LATEST STORIES

How people — and businesses — can learn from failure

IAASB proposes revisions to review engagements standard

CFO role expands at a quicker pace as disruption reshapes finance

What to do when a rival tries to poach you

Innovation drives investor confidence in Asia

Advertisement
Read the latest FM digital edition, exclusively for CIMA members and AICPA members who hold the CGMA designation.
Advertisement

Related Articles