Beyond discounts, what’s driving Southeast Asia’s Singles’ Day surge?

Singles’ Day is proving once again to be Southeast Asia’s dominant retail event, far outpacing Western shopping days such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday. According to Meltwater social listening data from 29 September to 28 October 2025, Singles’ Day generated 47,800 mentions, accounting for 93% of all conversations, while Black Friday recorded just 3,190 mentions (6.2%) and Cyber Monday only 244 mentions (0.48%). The pattern holds across reach and engagement, cementing Singles’ Day as the region’s top-of-mind shopping moment.

Hashtags driving conversation reveal a mix of platform trends, gaming tie-ins, and brand engagement, with #Mobilelgendsbangbang, #eCommerce, #Brandthink, #TikTokShopThailand, and #TikTokShop among the most engaging.

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Top retailers mentioned were Shopee (50%), Lazada (35%), Amazon (6%), and TikTok Shop (5.7%), with reach dominated by Shopee at 85%, followed by Lazada at 7.6% and TikTok Shop at 6.4%.

However, engagement tells a different story. TikTok Shop led with 54% of all interactions, followed by Shopee at 31% and Lazada at 8.4%, showing that creator-driven commerce is capturing attention more effectively than traditional marketplace reach.

What are shoppers buying?

These trends echo Criteo’s Q4 2024 "Double date shopping review", which found that Singles’ Day drove the largest spikes in revenue, transactions, and traffic across Southeast Asia.

Revenue across the region rose 9.6% year-on-year, transactions increased 6.5%, and traffic grew 6.4%, while average basket sizes climbed 14%, peaking 17% above baseline during Singles’ Day. Categories showing the strongest growth included health & beauty, baby & toddler, and apparel & accessories, with local variations: Indonesia favoured apparel & accessories, Singapore leaned into health & beauty, and Thailand showed high demand for baby & toddler and home & garden. These figures indicate that shoppers are not only spending more but are also willing to explore new categories and brands during peak events.

“The impressive performance of Q4 double days across Southeast Asia underscores its growing significance in the regional retail calendar,” said Sukesh Singh, managing director (SEA), Criteo.

“This is noteworthy, especially in the face of inflationary pressures and cautious consumer sentiment, highlighting how shoppers remain engaged when value and relevance align. Data-driven insights are critical for brands to convert these peak moments into meaningful growth," added Singh.

How are players responding? 

eCommerce platforms are responding with targeted strategies to capture this shopping frenzy. Lazada, for example, is investing US$25 million in its 11.11 campaign, running from 1 to 14 November and culminating in its "Biggest sale of the year" campaign from 10 November at 8pm to 13 November.

The platform is also leveraging upgraded AI capabilities and creator programmes to drive discovery and engagement. Its AI shopping companion, AI Lazzie, helps shoppers personalise deals by stacking LazRewards and seller vouchers for maximum savings, while the LazAffiliate programme allows creators to tag products in YouTube Shopping videos, enabling audiences to buy with just a few taps while creators earn commissions.

In conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, a Lazada spokesperson said that consumers are becoming more premium and intentional in how they shop, with a clear pivot toward higher-quality goods and trusted brands.

"During our recent 9.9 sale, the average order value rose by almost 30%, which indicates that shoppers are leaning toward higher-quality products and trusted brands, not just the lowest price anymore. With increasingly demand from shoppers for higher quality and wider range of products, we have since expanded our quality product assortment with millions of international and regional brands from GMarket and TMall," said the Lazada spokesperson. 

"People are also researching more, comparing features and reading reviews before they check out. This demonstrates that shoppers now rely on facts and research to make their purchasing decisions, moving away from impulse buys. That’s why we invested in AI tools such as AI Lazzie, which helps customers compare products, make recommendations, stack vouchers and make confident, fact-driven decisions this 11.11," the spokesperson added. 

TikTok Shop Malaysia is also making major moves ahead of 11.11. The eCommerce platform recorded over 3x year-on-year growth in the number of brands participating in its authenticity-guaranteed mall program, following joint efforts with the government to empower local entrepreneurs with IP protection training.

Meanwhile, shoppers can expect #JomLokal flash sale deals, unlimited free shipping, stackable vouchers, and buy 1 free 1 offers. TikTok Shop is also hosting its first on-ground 11.11 Mega Sale Carnival in Kuala Lumpur from 7 to 9 November, featuring over 60 booths, live entertainment, and a concert livestreamed via @tiktokshop_my.

Shopee in Singapore, on the other hand, is leaning into creator-led engagement this 11.11. The platform’s campaign includes a jingle and music video featuring popular influencers such as Noah Yap, Tosh Rock, Maxi Lim, and Joshua Tan, highlighting its focus on social and entertainment-driven commerce to capture shopper attention ahead of the peak sale.

Double-day events are no longer simply discount-driven sales; they are cultural touchpoints shaping purchasing behaviour, category preferences, and platform engagement across Southeast Asia. For brands, these insights provide a blueprint for targeting shoppers more effectively and maximising growth during the peak season.

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