doubletwelve

Doubletwelve is an annual online shopping festival in China held on December 12. The term comes from the Chinese name 双十二 (Shuāng Shí’èr) and is used in English-language marketing as a reference to this event. It is primarily promoted by major e-commerce platforms and retailers, with Alibaba’s Taobao and Tmall among the most prominent organizers, though many other merchants participate as well.

The event originated in the early 2010s as a follow-up promotional campaign to Singles’ Day (11.11) and has grown into one of China’s major online shopping occasions. Stores offer discounts, coupons, limited-time deals, and bundle promotions across a wide range of products, including electronics, fashion, home goods, and beauty items. In recent years, promotions have expanded to include livestream sales, flash sales, and cross-border commerce to attract both domestic and international shoppers.

Doubletwelve is primarily an online phenomenon and is not a national public holiday. It is part of the broader calendar of Chinese shopping festivals that influence year-end consumer spending, supply chains, and logistics planning. The scale and promotional intensity of Doubletwelve have contributed to shifts in advertising, consumer behavior, and retailer strategies in the Chinese e-commerce market.

Usage notes: the term is most commonly encountered in English-language coverage of Chinese e-commerce promotions as a marketing label for the December 12 event. It is sometimes written as Double Twelve or represented by the Chinese name 双十二 in Chinese-language materials.