Singles’ Day is not only the biggest day for retailers in China, but the biggest e-commerce extravaganza in the world. For brands looking to connect with Chinese consumers bring bombarded with discounts and deals, the pressure is high to get it right.
Not only that, but for bricks-and-mortar retailers, there’s an added challenge: no company wants their physical retail stores completely empty on the big day as shoppers wait online for the next discount.
For UNIQLO, China’s most popular apparel brand, its priority was not only to continue its huge presence online for Singles’ Day – in 2016, the brand reached US$15 million in sales in less than one minute – but also integrate a strong ‘online to offline’ component to push more purchases through its 500+ stores nationwide.
According to Jalin Wu, Chief Marketing Officer for UNIQLO China, roughly 15% of the company’s overall sales in China comes via online channels. Bricks and mortar retail is still crucial to the company’s growth strategy and success in the country.