China’s Gen Z is participating more in this year’s Double Eleven, a yearly shopping festival characterized by monthlong sales culminating on Nov. 11 — the namesake of the festival — and they’re putting more thought into the value of what they’re buying.

According to the 2025 Gen Z Double Eleven Consumption Behavior Report jointly released on Friday by social platform Soul and the Shanghai Youth & Children Research Center, 93.1% of the 2,770 Gen Z individuals who submitted responses reported purchasing items and services during Double Eleven, up from 81.3% in 2021.

Travel-related purchases, such as flight and hotel packages, made up the majority — nearly 40% — of respondents’ “emotional consumption.” Such purchasing decisions are driven by emotional — rather than rational — needs, such as seeking products that foster a sense of belonging or comfort. 

Double Eleven, or Singles’ Day, originated in the 1990s as an informal Chinese holiday celebrating singlehood before being transformed into a massive shopping festival by e-commerce giant Alibaba in 2009. While initially focused on one day of online discounts, the festival now encompasses a full month of pre-sales, promotions, and entertainment activities.

Of those surveyed, 21.4% noted that they were inspired to make purchases this year because of a wider variety of products, 20.8% highlighted better subsidies and cost-effectiveness, and 20.4% referenced clearer promotion rules with more direct discounts.

However, when asked whether they still believe in “Double Eleven offering the lowest prices of the year,” nearly 40% of respondents said they would need to verify that claim themselves.

Despite reservations about pricing authenticity, compared to the previous year, nearly 80% of respondents reported either raising or maintaining their budgets, while 38.6% reported spending more this year, up from 27.3% in 2021.

Beyond the Soul survey, other media also reflect changes in Gen Z’s buying behavior. A September survey of over 5,000 young people by domestic media outlet China Newsweek further revealed that nearly 80% of those surveyed consider “whether it’s something they truly need” when making purchases. Additionally, nearly 48% are influenced by discounts, and 40% are willing to pay for “emotional value.”

Zhang Han, a 25-year-old Shanghai resident and freelancer, told Sixth Tone that she had embraced the “emotional value” of this year’s Double Eleven, purchasing 10 hotel vouchers on a travel platform across multiple international destinations and hotel chains. According to Zhang, rooms typically priced over 600 yuan ($84) per night were available for just 200 to 300 yuan during the sale. 

“The ‘book anytime, cancel freely’ flexibility perfectly matches my spontaneous travel style,” she said. “It reminded me what Double Eleven was originally about — I got both the discount and genuine joy.”

Editor: Marianne Gunnarsson.

(Header image: Shijue AIGC/VCG)