News from the Wire
Singles' Day data shows retail lift in Asia-Pacific, UK, signaling 2026 merchant trends
Tuesday, November 10, 2026 — 17:24:45 (UTC)
Singles' Day data shows retail lift in Asia-Pacific and UK, signalling merchant trends for 2026
Spend with Asia-Pacific merchants was 16% above a normal day on Singles' Day 2025, led by retail Department store spend in Asia-Pacific rose 70%, with clothing spend up 16% In the UK, spend rose 30% in general retail, 24% in clothing and 22% in food and drink*
LONDON, UK — 10 November 2026 — Payments data from Checkout.com, a leading global payments company, shows that Singles' Day 2025 lifted online spend across Asia-Pacific retail and UK fashion and general retail. The figures give merchants an early indication of where demand may build as the peak-shopping season begins this year.
Originating in China, Singles' Day takes place annually on 11 November, with consumers celebrating singlehood. It is now the first major event of the peak season, ahead of Black Friday on 27 November.
Checkout.com compared payments on Singles' Day 2025 with the daily average of the seven days before it. Spend with Asia-Pacific merchants was 16% higher than on a normal day*, the clearest event-driven spike in the data.
Retail drove that lift with department store spending rising 70% in Asia-Pacific, general retail spending rising about 20%, and clothing rising 16%. Together, these three categories were up almost 25%, compared with 4% for the same categories outside Asia-Pacific.
In the UK, compared with the previous Tuesday (4 November 2025), Singles' Day spend was 31% higher in general retail, 23% higher in clothing and 37% higher in food and drink. Clothing spend also rose 13% across merchants signalling that Singles Day promotions, or early Black Friday deals, may be reaching beyond Asia.
Central and Eastern Europe was the strongest region outside APAC, with shoppers spending 24% more on the day and increases of 36% in Poland, 30% in Croatia, 26% in the Czech Republic and 23% in both Slovakia and Lithuania. Elsewhere in Europe the picture was more mixed: spending was broadly flat, with Italy (+19%) and Norway (+52%) the exceptions.
Rory O’Neill, Chief Marketing Officer at Checkout.com, said: "Singles' Day is the first real test of the peak season, and last year's data shows exactly where shoppers are ready to spend: fashion, department stores and general retail. Merchants who get their promotions and their checkout right will be best placed to turn that early demand into lasting growth through Black Friday and beyond."
In the run-up to Black Friday 2026, Checkout.com is helping businesses turn peak-season demand into revenue. The company’s upcoming campaign will spotlight the trends, insights and practical strategies shaping the world’s biggest shopping moment, so merchants can prepare with confidence, deliver valuable experiences for their customers, and use AI to optimise every transaction.
*All increases compare Singles' Day (11 November 2025) with the daily average of the preceding seven days (4-10 November 2025), based on payment volume processed by Checkout.com. APAC and UK figures are derived from the sales region of the merchant, not the location of the shopper, while individual country figures and the CEE figures are derived from the issuing country of the cardholder.
ENDS
Press contact
pr@checkout.com
About Checkout.com Checkout.com processes payments for companies that shape the digital economy. Its global payments network supports more than 150 processing currencies and delivers high-performance payment solutions across the world for more than 1,700 merchants, processing billions of transactions annually. In 2026, Checkout.com is expected to process $500bn in payment volume, primarily across digital commerce.
Checkout.com helps enterprise merchants improve payment performance, boost acceptance rates, combat fraud and turn payments into a major revenue driver. Its flexible, scalable technology supports payments across online and in-person channels, helping merchants deliver more consistent experiences and manage their payment operations through a single relationship.
Headquartered in London and with 19 offices worldwide, Checkout.com is trusted by leading brands such as ASOS, Best Buy, eBay, HelloFresh, Klarna, Microsoft, Pinterest, Samsung, Sony, Spotify, Uber, and Vinted.
Notice to readers: These are archived articles. Contact information, links and other details may be out of date. We regret any inconvenience.
Source: Company press release. 
Categories: Reports and research
