Surely you have heard about this event, and maybe you have already taken advantage of other years to make your purchases online. The Black Friday Chinese held on November 11 and there are numerous products on offer at stores like AliExpress or Gearbest . In this article we are going to explain in detail what this day consists of, how you can take advantage of the best offers and what advice it is advisable to follow for a purchase without surprise in the online Chinese macro stores.
What is 11.11 (November 11)?
November 11 is the date chosen by many Chinese businesses to celebrate the equivalent of Black Friday, which is becoming increasingly fashionable. That is to say: it is a single day dedicated exclusively to promoting all kinds of products in stores, with exclusive and limited-time offers , and thus encouraging customers to buy more for a few hours.
For certain products and for certain stores, in fact, it can pay off waiting a few weeks or a couple of months so that you can buy all the things on your wish list on November 11.
Who celebrates November 11?
As we have already mentioned, 11.11 is a macro event dedicated to sales in China and there are many businesses that celebrate it. The best known in Spain are AliExpress and Gearbest , two Amazon- style Internet sales services that also have warehouses in Spain, so a selection of their products can be requested directly with national shipping and shortening waiting times usual .
How much money can you save by buying on 11/11? Is it really worth it?
This question is probably one of the most difficult. We could say that, in general terms, it is worth buying in these stores on November 11 to take advantage of the offers, but the value of the "bargain" really depends on the type of product you want to buy and the rush you have to receive it, between other factors.
Keep in mind that both AliExpress and Gearbest are portals that bring together many (many) different sellers. The vast majority of them are located in China and, therefore, the shipping times of the products are quite long (around 30-60 days to Spain, in general ). Of course, there are also fast shipping options, but you will have to pay supplements for them.
Now: the two online giants have warehouses in Spain where a selection of the most demanded products in our country is available. Delivery takes about a week and is a very interesting option if you don't want to wait that long and if you plan to buy one of those selected products (for example, smartphones or action cameras, among other gadgets).
An added advantage of Spanish stores is that you could benefit from some more favorable guarantee conditions: AliExpress Plaza , for example, offered an additional year of guarantee for first-time buyers in October. In any case, it is always advisable to read the conditions and the fine print , so as not to be surprised by the conditions of the product or the warranty.
The November 11 offers are especially attractive for the purchase of high-value products, since discounts of 5% or 10% represent a very important saving in spending . On the other hand, if you want to buy objects of less value (such as key rings, for example) the difference with respect to the original price can remain in a few cents . Although, logically, if you plan to buy many cheap products, the accumulation of savings is greater and in total you may spend several euros less at the time of payment.
Finally, it must be taken into account that waiting and shipping times may be longer because on November 11, thousands of people from all over the world buy large quantities of products, and sellers can be saturated to manage all orders . If you are considering doing Christmas shopping taking advantage of 11/11, keep in mind that some of the products may not arrive on time (it is not the norm, but it could happen).
What kind of offers are there? How can I find them?
If you access AliExpress or Gearbest from your browser or mobile application, you will see messages and banners announcing the 11/11 party, and you can easily check out some of the featured products that will be on sale on that date.
In the case of AliExpress , you can take the days before to search for products that interest you and save them in the wish list or in the shopping cart, but to enjoy the offer you will have to pay on November 11. On Gearbest , however, many of the 11/11 deals are available from November 9 .
The two pages therefore have specific sections dedicated to informing about the conditions and offers of the 11.11 party. And in them you will find information about the outstanding products of each category that are on offer for the celebration: Electronics gadgets , Toys , Clothing , etc.
In addition, in the case of AliExpress , both from the website and from the application, when conducting a search for a specific product, you can filter the results so that only those that have a discount for November 11 are displayed .
As you find the products that interest you, you will only have to add them to the wish list or to the shopping cart to prepare the final pack that you will pay for on November 11.
What is the difference between flash offers and 11/11 offers?
As we have already mentioned, the 11/11 offers are specific to this shopping party and can only be used if you pay on November 11 (in the case of AliExpress ) or between November 9 and 11 (in Gearbest ). If you are going to buy in other Chinese macrottores online, check well the conditions of the offers and the purchase periods.
In the days leading up to November 11, you can also participate in games and raffles from the mobile applications or web pages of these services to win extra discount coupons that will be accumulated at the already reduced prices of the products at the time of purchase.
Besides the special discounts, these websites also offer flash deals; that is: discounts on certain products that are available only for a limited time. You can find them in the section Aliofertas of the day of AliExpress or Gadget deals in Gearbest .
Is it better to use the mobile application or access from the computer?
We recommend using the mobile application of these services, since many AliExpress products add extra discounts when buying through the app. In addition to saving a few more cents or euros on your 11.11 purchases, you can continue to use the application to have cheaper products at any other time of the year. Sometimes, the discount can reach up to 10% with respect to the price shown on the web.
How to buy on Chinese websites without unpleasant surprises?
The best way to avoid surprises is to read the product descriptions carefully, review the store ratings that other sellers have left, and be wary of exaggerated offers. We recommend that you carefully read our tips for your shopping without surprises on AliExpress and other similar pages.