11.11: An Event with a Difference

As Southeast Asia’s biggest one-day shopping festival, 11.11 has become a major source of optimism for sellers amid the ongoing pandemic. In fact, this year’s 11.11 saw more than 800,000 participating sellers and brands, a number that was double that of last year’s.

Bangkok-based Nana Coffee Roasters, for example, started selling its beans online via Lazada after business at its physical locations plummeted due to the lockdown. Seeing promising results, Nana decided to take part in its first 11.11 this year as a way to recover from earlier losses and also to continue building up brand awareness. “We were very excited because we heard that this is the biggest event that Lazada hosts,” said Nana Coffee Roasters founder Wasin Kusakabe.

Being relatively new to eCommerce, he added that Lazada’s support has been crucial: “We’ve received a lot of tips and tricks on how to market and engage with our customers. It really helps to bolster our sales and our confidence in selling online.” This 11.11, his revenue skyrocketed by more than 5,000% compared to that of an average day.

The significance of 11.11 continues to be unmatched even to eCommerce veterans like Gesika Baylon. Baylon started her Philippines-based skincare store Greenika on Lazada in 2018 and took part in her first 11.11 the following year. “We couldn’t believe our eyes when we saw the results on our dashboard,” she said. While her business easily generates seven-digit incomes during weeklong mega campaigns, her biggest revenue of the year still happens during 11.11. “And it happens in just one day,” she said.

In the lead-up to this year’s 11.11, shoppers collected more than $410 million worth of Lazada Bonus vouchers. And to understand just how much this excitement means to sellers, one only needs to look at the amount of preparation online businesses have undertaken in the past few months. According to Lazada’s Digital Commerce Confidence Index, four out of five sellers revealed that they were increasing their inventory levels and 47% said they would bolster their workforces ahead of 11.11 and other mega campaigns. Buoyed by the year-end shopping festival season, 76% of the 900 sellers surveyed said they were expecting more than 10% sales growth this quarter.

“11.11 is the biggest campaign of the year. A lot of buyers come in and buy things, and the way they spend money is different from other campaigns or normal days because Lazada also offers a lot of attractive vouchers, discounts, giveaways and things like that,” said Liang Wee Ling, who operates the mother and baby products store 8miles on Lazada Singapore.

Liang spent four months preparing for this year’s event to ensure that she would have adequate stock and also packing capabilities. It’s a lot of work, but the benefits, she says, are more than worth it. Aside from the on-the-day boost to traffic and sales, 11.11 plays a crucial role in ensuring a business’ long-term success. Not only are sellers more likely to receive ratings for orders during 11.11, they gain exposure to more shoppers, many of whom have a high chance of becoming regulars.

These benefits are what make 11.11 a truly special occasion. As Liang put it: “You must join 11.11. It is something you cannot miss.”

Lazada Sellers on ECommerce, Innovation and 11.11