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Alibaba's 11.11 bets big on sustainability and inclusivity

11.11 Global Shopping Festival. PHOTO: Alibaba
11.11 Global Shopping Festival. PHOTO: Alibaba

SINGAPORE – On 27 October 2021, Alibaba Group held a virtual Asia Pacific press conference for the upcoming 13th 11.11 Global Shopping Festival, commonly known as '11.11'. Featuring more than 290,000 participating brands – the highest ever in the Festival's history – 11.11 will focus on inclusivity and sustainability, on top of garnering the best deals across the platform.

Both merchants and consumers can look forward to green initiatives and social programmes. Alibaba’s green initiatives kickstarted during this year’s 618 Mid-Year Festival and 11.11 will see an even more concerted effort towards reducing the carbon footprint.

1. Going green? Look out for Tmall’s energy-efficient and low-impact product vertical, where shopping for green products is so much easier than before.

2. RMB100 million worth of 'green' vouchers will be given to incentivise those who choose to go green.

3. Alibaba started the development of new products with a lower carbon footprint, on top of creating plastic-free and recyclable packaging.

4. Working hand-in-hand with their logistics partner CaiNiao Network, Alibaba rolled out more than 60,000 package collection and recycling stations across China, as well as provided 10,000 CaiNiao Post Stations for ease of recycling of parcel packaging for consumers.

What's more, the 'Goods for Good' programme that first started in 2006 has enabled customers to donate a portion of the sales profit from their purchases to their chosen charitable organisation or project. Since then, the programme has assisted the needy more than 43 million times. Some of the noteworthy projects include:

- Provision of medical support for more than 3 million times

- Installation of water purification systems in more than 200 rural schools

- Offering nearly half a million free meals to impoverished elderly citizens living alone across the country.

The upcoming 11.11 Global Shopping Festival promises to be more exciting than before. Consumers can look forward to:

1. Earlier start of pre-sale orders at 8pm BJT, instead of waiting till midnight.

2. Even bigger deals and cross-store rebates.

3. Social sharing features allow for easy sharing with friends with a few taps.

Most notably, Alibaba has not forgotten the young and the old. The 'senior mode' Taobao app featuring larger font and icons, simplified navigation and voice-assisted technology, is a truly inclusive gesture.

A specially curated range of trending products amongst the Gen Zs will also be added for the first time, recognising the increasing purchasing power of this audience. Gen Zs will have a field day with Chinese heritage-themed goods, art toys and blind boxes.

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