Nov. 11, also known as Singles’ Day, is an online shopping holiday in China unlike any other. A star-studded show hosted by China’s largest online retailer, Alibaba, kicked off the festivities, originally conceived as an online sales event for singles to treat themselves with some retail therapy. This year, actress Nicole Kidman, rapper Pharrell Williams, and Chinese film stars Zhang Ziyi and Fan Bingbing were among those present at a gala in Shanghai.
By the end of a 24-hour period, Alibaba had made 168.3 billion yuan, or roughly $25 billion—an almost 40 percent increase from last year’s 120.7 billion yuan ($17.8 billion).
