The Alibaba Group has logged more than 268 billion yuan (S$52 billion) of purchases during its Singles' Day bonanza, exceeding last year's record haul after a 24-hour shopping marathon.
An estimated half-billion shoppers from China to Russia and Argentina swarmed the e-commerce giant's sites to scoop up everything from Apple and Xiaomi gadgets to Ugandan mangoes.
The company again hosted a televised entertainment revue in Shanghai to run alongside the bargain-hunting, this time enlisting Taylor Swift and Asian pop icon G.E.M. to pump up sales. The world's largest shopping event has become an annual ritual for Asia's largest company, part showcase of commercialism and part publicity blitz.
Also referred to as "Double 11" because it falls on November 11, it's closely watched by investors keen to gauge how willing Chinese consumers are to spend as economic growth threatens to slip below 6%.
