ATLANTA, Nov. 11, 2026 — CGTN featured AIS Media Founder and CEO Thomas Harpointner in a report by Mark Niu on Singles’ Day shopping and what the November 11 event could mean for U.S. retailers. A shopper who asks an AI tool for good headphones under $150 might see a retailer’s Singles’ Day offer without ever searching for the event. That gives retailers another way to reach shoppers before Black Friday.
Singles’ Day began in China and is still unfamiliar to many U.S. shoppers. That gives retailers a simple way to test the idea. Make the offer understandable to someone who has never heard of 11/11. For example, a skincare brand could pair a bestseller with a travel kit available only on Singles’ Day. A bundle like that gives shoppers a reason to buy ahead of Black Friday.
Watch the CGTN report on Singles’ Day
Harpointner explained how the timing sets up a different buying occasion before the holiday rush. “It’s an opportunity to gift yourself something,” he said.
Watch the 2-minute CGTN report on Bastille Post Global.
Three ways U.S. retailers can test Singles’ Day
AI shopping can put a Singles’ Day offer in front of someone who has never heard of the event. For example, a shopper can ask for a product that fits a budget and arrives by a certain date. Retailers can use that kind of question to see whether their offer is easy to find, compare and buy.
A retailer can lose the sale before the shopper ever reaches its website. If an AI tool recommends a competitor and leaves your product off the shortlist, the shopper may never see what makes your offer a better fit.
1. Pick ten products and shop for them with AI
Start with ten products that have healthy margins and enough stock for Singles’ Day. Then ask the questions customers ask, such as “Which at-home espresso accessories under $75 would make a good upgrade, and can they arrive this week?” Next, check which brands come up, what the tools say about your products, and whether the links point to the right pages. Try a few versions of each question to spot recurring gaps.
2. Make your Singles’ Day offer easy to find and trust
Give shoppers the information they need to decide. Put the price, stock status, delivery estimate, return policy and offer terms in plain text on the product page. Then check that your product page, shopping feeds, and checkout show the same details. A deal that shows one price in search and another at checkout gives shoppers a reason to leave. Spell out which items qualify, who can claim the offer, and when it ends.
Meanwhile, keep investing in SEO as you test AI shopping. Google says the same SEO fundamentals apply to AI Overviews and AI Mode. Make sure search engines can crawl and index your product pages, and use those pages to answer the questions shoppers ask before buying.
3. Judge the test on profitable orders
You can win the order and still lose money. Start with a Singles’ Day offer for one category. Before launch, agree on what success looks like and choose a similar period or group of products for comparison. Then track orders and margin after discounts, shipping and returns. Look at whether the test generated new demand or pulled forward sales you expected over Black Friday.
Adobe Analytics reported that clicks from AI tools to U.S. retail sites rose 71% year over year in September 2026. The figure covers U.S. retail sites overall. To see what that demand is worth to your business, measure the results of your own Singles’ Day test.
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AIS Media is an Atlanta-based digital marketing agency that helps brands get found and chosen. Its services include Digital Marketing Strategy, SEO and AI Search, and PPC Management.
