Singles’ Day
Not to be confused with the relationship status, Singles’ Day (or Double 11) holds the title of largest online and brick-and-mortar shopping day in China and the world. Launched in 2009 by Alibaba, China’s top online retailer, the event offers online discounts and offline entertainment. It has been adopted by platforms in and outside of China.
Black Friday
One of the largest shopping holidays in North America, Black Friday began with U.S. brick-and-mortar retailers opening their doors (very) early on the Friday after Thanksgiving in November. Stores offer deep discounts to kick off the holiday shopping season, and many retailers extend online deals into Cyber Monday or Cyber Week promotions. Increasingly, these sale days have begun to roll out earlier in the holiday calendar.
El Buen Fin
El Buen Fin (“the good end”), Mexico’s national shopping event, offers shoppers promotions and discounts. It is tied to Revolution Day, which occurs the third Monday of November. El Buen Fin was launched as an initiative between the Mexican federal government and private sector organizations.
Small Business Saturday
Launched by American Express in 2010, this American shopping holiday encourages shoppers to buy local. Small Business Saturday occurs on the last Saturday of November and aims to drive exposure and sales for local businesses. While the holiday encourages shoppers to visit brick-and-mortar locations, many businesses offer online deals.
Cyber Monday
Cyber Monday occurs the Monday after the U.S. holiday Thanksgiving. Originally launched as the online version of Black Friday, Cyber Monday is an important tool for smaller businesses to compete with larger retailers and is observed by businesses around the globe.
White Friday
Similar to Black Friday in the U.S., White Friday occurs at the end of November and offers online discounts and deals for Middle Eastern and North African consumers.
Green Monday
Green Monday is the busiest shopping day in December for consumers celebrating Christmas. It represents the last day shoppers can order gifts to be shipped and delivered in time for the holiday. This online deal day falls on the second Monday of the month, roughly ten days before the holiday.
Super Saturday
Also known as “Panic Saturday,” the last Saturday before Christmas represents the end of the holiday shopping season with deep discounts for last-minute Christmas shoppers.
Free Shipping Day
Free Shipping Day is a billion-dollar shopping holiday typically occurring in mid-December in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. Participating merchants offer free shipping and guaranteed delivery by Christmas Eve.
Amazon Prime Day
With 100% of surveyed consumers reporting a baseline awareness of Amazon Prime day, this online deal day needs no introduction. The 48-hour savings extravaganza, launched in 2015 as “Black Friday in June” for Prime members, offers deep discounts and “lightning deals” across departments. The event occurs annually in June or July, in 20 countries, though this year included a second sales day in October.
618 Shopping Festival
618 is the second-largest shopping event in China behind Singles Day. Launched as a direct competitor to Singles Day by e-commerce giant JD.com (on June 18, the company’s birthday), this shopping festival now spans several weeks leading up to June 18, across multiple online platforms. Huge discounts drive high sales volume on everything from iPhones and refrigerators to chocolate and flowers.
Global Holiday Hub
See how shoppers plan to spend around the holidays—from online shopping events to in-person celebrations—with NielsenIQ’s Global Holiday Hub.
