News / World's biggest shopping spree produces a new record for AliExpress

© Ilia Burdun

Alibaba and its express delivery arm, AliExpress, saw a 350% rise in the value of merchandise sold internationally on Singles Day last Wednesday – a Chinese event founded by the e-commerce firm and somewhat cynically developed into the Global Shopping Festival.

The first four hours of transactions exceeded the total last year internationally, with sellers outside China, including some from France for the first time, seeing three times more orders than last year.

“The event has grown to be the world’s largest ...