11.11 Shopping Carnival in China, a moment of silence in UK

        Everyone knows about the buying spree on Boxing Day,26 December            each year, but how many have heard of the shopping bonanza in                  China on November 11, 2020. 

        Since 11.11.2009,Alibaba the Chinese e-commerce giant decided to                do a major promotion with 27 brands in China that day, it is now an              annual big event and is called "Singles Day".

        Looked up by many,as an event in the Chinese calendar as the                      Chinese New Year,not even Alibaba can imagine how far this                        marketing initiative has grown. 

        Singles Day is celebrated both in China and around China Towns                  around many parts of the world. Like Black Friday in the US and                  Boxing Day in the Commonwealth,it is an extravaganza of nationwide            bargain hunting with a big difference. All shopping generally is done            online.

       

       According to reports,Chinese consumers spent well over $100 billion         during this year during Singles Day Shopping  Festival as China                   recovers from the pandemic and the slowdown of the economy.

       We are also told that today the eyes of shoppers are on quality                   products from around the world like French chocolates and                         wine,South Korean beauty products, Russian pastries,New Zealand             dairy products and German cutlery. 

       Beside the whole world brought to the doorstep of the Chinese                     consumer,we are also informed that this year 2020,some 350 million         delivery orders attracted food and grocery purchases from                       restaurants and pharmacies,all done with only a "click" on a                       consumer's smartphone. Mobile payment structures are also in                 operation simply by scanning the "QR code". Talk about a new mode of         commerce, this is it,in China today.

       What else was seen during the bonanza, Chinese households could               order special deliveries of milk from Beijing and yogurt from Xinjiang         in Western China. 

       But, most of all delivery costs rarely exceeded a few pounds,                       sometimes at no charge at all.

                    Does this mean that there is more and more competition in the                            market or more and more regulation of the market?

       We are also told that there is regulation, the latest addition is                     "rational consumption". There is none what we saw in London                      supermarkets during the early days of "Lockdown," with shelves               "cleaned" of toilet rolls among other essentials.Perhaps, there is no            need for panic buying

        Like in the UK where shoppers are able to collect points for shopping          purchases at Sainsbury's, or with a Tesco's Club Card, or with credit          cards, where their credit score is monitored by Credit Rating                    agencies, the difference in China is that all shoppers are given a                rating for "good citizenship".This is a bonus point for many,and handy          for job applications,promotions and special facilities.

        Diversity and differentiation is the value added bonus,perhaps,for              being not only a prudent shopper, but being a member of the Party?

        What does 11.11 mean other than in China?

        We in the UK and in the Commonwealth, have a special significance.              Besides, often associated with spiritual awakening, it is the moment            of silence observed on memorial Day since the end of the First World          War. It is Remembrance of the members of their armed forces who            died in the line of duty. It is the time when hostilities formally ended.            It is the exact time in UK when at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the              11th month,when the Armistice became effective. When the Big Ben                strikes 11.00 am on 11 November,everything comes to a standstill for            a minute of silence. This is a tradition that will endure the strands of          time.

        Victor Cherubim