Ultimate Guide To Year-End Online Shopping Events 2021 (10.10, Amazon Prime Day, 11.11, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, 12.12 & Boxing Day)

Sa-le-brate the end of 2021 with shopping events that offer discounts too good to be missed.

The season of epic shopping is here — again! Starting in early-October and lasting till end-December, these online shopping events offer massive discounts across categories. So, if you are thinking of crossing out your Christmas gifting list or looking at items to spruce up the house for the New Year, this is the time to start.

Wondering when is the best time to cart out your items? Here’s a comprehensive guide to all year-end online shopping events.

Bonus trivia: We bring you the stories behind each shopping event and how they got coined.

10.10 Perfect Sale

Date: 10 October 2021
Websites to visit: China and Singapore-based websites like AliExpress, ezbuy, TaoBao, Tmall, Qoo10, Shopee, Lazada, Zalora, Golden Village, etc. 

Setting the tone for year-end online shopping deals is the 10.10 Perfect Sale. Perfect Sale? Yes, it got its (slightly cheesy) name because the Chinese believe that the number 10 represents wholeness and perfection. During this sale, you can expect discounts of up to 80% off on household, fashion, pets and beauty items. Apart from that, some sites are also offering extra cashback during this sale.

11.11 Singles’ Day

Date: 11 November 2021
Websites to visit: China and Singapore-based websites like AliExpress, TaoBao, Tmall, Qoo10, Shopee, Lazada, Zalora, etc. 

Missed out on 10.10's Perfect Sale? Well, there's the 11.11 Singles' Day sale which is currently the world's biggest online shopping extravaganza. First made popular in China by Chinese e-Commerce giant Alibaba, you can expect major price slashes of up to 90% across all product categories, especially on items from China-based eCommerce stores. 

Black Friday

Date: 26 November 2021
Websites to visit: US or UK-based websites like Shopbop, ASOS, Macy’s, Urban Outfitters, Net-a-Porter, BookDepository, etc.

While 11.11 Singles’ Day kick-starts the year-end shopping events, Black Friday heralds the beginning of Christmas holiday shopping. An annual sale that takes place on the Friday following Thanksgiving, it was once only held at brick and mortar stores in western countries, but has since found itself online and in Asia.

Apart from the usual suspects like Qoo10 and Lazada, expect US and UK brands (e.g. Calvin Klein, Coach, Nike, SuperDry, etc.) to offer massive markdowns and flash sales for the day itself, and over the weekend.

Pro-tip: To get exclusive dibs or preview of the sale, subscribe to a brand or website’s newsletter or membership at least a week prior to Black Friday as they will start releasing teasers a few days before. 

Cyber Monday

Date: 29 November 2021
Websites to visit: US or UK-based websites like Amazon, Best Buy, eBay, etc. Singapore-based websites like Qoo10, Shopee or Lazada. 

Can you believe that Cyber Monday was actually created by retail stores to encourage consumers to shop online? Similar to Black Friday, you can expect a wide range of items of sale — from perfume to power tools and apparel. In recent years, many retailers and eCommerce sites have combined Black Friday and Cyber Monday into an epic weekend sale. Yes, 4 glorious days of shopping!

Pro-tip: When Cyber Monday comes around and if you have been holding out on certain items for Christmas gifting (hoping their price will drop further), you should really just cart out to prevent unwanted festive panic. Taking into account possible confirmation and delivery delays due to the influx of orders over the Black Friday weekend, your Cyber Monday package will most likely only reach you sometime mid-December. This leaves you just enough time to wrap and gift them to your loved ones. 

12.12 Sale

Date: 12 December 2021
Websites to visit: China and Singapore-based websites like AliExpress, TaoBao, Tmall, Qoo10, Shopee, Lazada, Zalora, Klook, etc. 

Similar to 11.11, 12.12 is another eCommerce sale started by Alibaba. You can expect major price slashes of up to 80% across product categories, especially on items that are shipped from China. It may be good to note that as this is the last sale before Christmas, you should really tap on it for any outstanding gifts (just make sure to pick the quicker delivery option when making payment). 

Boxing Day

Date: 26 December 2021
Websites to visit: US or UK-based websites like Amazon, Best Buy, eBay, etc. Singapore-based websites like Qoo10, Shopee or Lazada. 

The story goes that this day got its name because masters used to present a box of gifts to their servants and give them the day off. While Boxing Day is still observed as a holiday in Britain, it has become a day for most brands to hold yet another sale (to clear what is leftover from their Christmas collection)! 

Pro-tip: The last sale of the year, and your final chance to get yourself new clothes and household items in preparation for Chinese New Year (12 and 13 February 2021)! 

Earn more by shopping online with the right credit card

Apart from saving on the year-end sale for holiday gifts or a little treat yo’self, you can make your purchases work harder for you (and even earn air miles or cashback rewards) if you shop with the right credit card! 

Citi Rewards Visa card

The Citi Rewards Visa offers 4 mpd (miles per dollar) on on online spending except travel. As Citibank’s T&Cs define shopping as any expenditure at stores which sell bags, shoes, or clothes, or department stores, you can use the Citi Rewards card to earn 4 mpd at popular online merchants like Amazon, Lazada, Qoo10 and Taobao.

OCBC Titanium Rewards card

This card gives you 10x OCBC points or 4 mpd for every $1 spent (capped at $12,000 per year), whether you’re shopping online or at brick-and-mortar stores, in Singapore or anywhere in the world. There’s also no minimum spend required on the OCBC Titanium Rewards card, so you can start earning bonus points from the first dollar onwards. Not to mention, your purchases are protected by an online price guarantee and e-commerce protection, handy in the case of disputes.

Standard Chartered Unlimited Cashback card

The Standard Chartered Unlimited Cashback Card is a no-brainer when it comes to making your purchases work harder for you. Almost all spend qualifies you for 1.5% cashback without any caps or minimum spend required to qualify for the cashback. And the best part? You can get instant digital credit card approval and issuance if you apply via MyInfo!

DBS Woman’s World card

This DBS credit card rewards you 4 mpd for all your online spending (capped at the first $2,000 online spend each month). Think air ticket purchases, Grab or Go-Jek rides, movie ticket purchases, attraction tickets and food delivery. Not to mention, you could also use it for your regular online shopping at Amazon, Lazada, Qoo10 and Shopee. That being said, there are still some exclusions.

KrisFlyer UOB card

Earns 3 mpd on online shopping and GOJEK/Grab rides, provided you spend at least $500 on SIA-related transactions in a year. Just a note, converting your points to miles takes a little longer as compared to other cards.

Read these next:
SingSaver Exclusive: Perk Your October Up With a Nespresso Gift Or $300 Cash!
Top Credit Card Promotions And Deals On SingSaver
Singapore Hotel Staycation Promotions During Phase 2
7 A La Carte Buffets To Enjoy During Phase 2
8 Cheap Korean BBQ Buffets In Singapore Starting At $14 (2020)