November 11, 2026. China marks the main day of Double 11, its online shopping festival, now in its 18th edition, with sales close to last year's and strong growth in AI products and robots on JD, according to Shanghai Securities News. Data platform Syntun, cited by AP, put cumulative sales through October 31 slightly above 1 trillion yuan, about 154 billion dollars.
A longer season, steady numbers
AP says the festival hit a record of almost 1.7 trillion yuan in 2025, and sales at the end of October were at a similar level to the same date last year, largely because platforms stretched the discount period. More than 1 million brands and 72 million products took part, according to Shanghai Securities News. Tmall stopped publishing gross sales in 2022 and now tracks net sales after returns; it replaced cross-store discounts with direct price cuts, and JD dropped presales.
Domestic demand remains cautious. "Optimism over a recovery in domestic demand has faded," Max Zenglein of The Conference Board told AP, adding that fierce competition in cars, TVs, footwear and electronics pushes manufacturers to seek markets abroad.
What grew on JD
JD data through October 30 show humanoid robot units up 700 % year on year, AI glasses, cameras and other AI trend products up 100 % in sales, and AI toys in JD Supermarket up 150 %. Language model tokens and AI computing services were sold as standard products on e-commerce platforms for the first time; on November 2, a livestream by Li Jiaqi sold almost 100,000 monthly Qwen Office memberships in half an hour.
Overseas, sales on AliExpress's Brand+ channel rose more than 200 % on the first day of its international Double 11 versus November 1 last year. Brazil doubled, the US and Korea more than quadrupled, and the EU rose 181 %. Tmall International hosts over 40,000 foreign brands from more than 110 countries and regions.
Our take
Flat domestic sales and factories looking for foreign buyers usually leave room to negotiate volume, terms and packaging, especially in crowded categories. JD's fastest-growing lines also show where new product development is concentrated.
- Ask for volume pricing, not consumer promo prices, through product sourcing.
- Order samples to check AI features, certifications and power compatibility.
- Book a product inspection and ship before Chinese New Year on February 6, 2027.
