Chinese shoppers spend big in post-virus Singles' Day binge

Chinese shoppers splurged more than $100 billion in the world's biggest shopping event of the year, in a huge spending spree that suggests the country's all-important army of consumers is fighting back after months of pandemic agony. | Employees sort parcels at a warehouse for online retailer JD.com in Beijing.

Hundreds of millions used online stores to scoop up bargains in the Singles' Day consumer marathon that dwarfs the US "Black Friday" phenomenon. | A worker sorts packages for delivery at a JD.com warehouse during the Singles' Day shopping festival in Beijing.

Everything from jewellery and video games to furniture and food was sold on the country's biggest e-commerce platforms run by tech titans Alibaba and JD.com. | A worker hauls packages for delivery at a JD.com warehouse during the Singles' Day shopping festival.

While "Singles' Day" - so-called for its annual 11.11 date - has long been a 24-hour event, its creator Alibaba has expanded it to an 11-day promotion beginning November 1. | Workers sort packages for delivery at a JD.com warehouse.

Alibaba said Thursday it took 498.2 billion yuan ($74.1 billion) worth of orders during the extravaganza, a 26 percent rise on the same period last year, while JD.com recorded sales valuing 271.5 billion yuan. | Workers sort packages for delivery at a JD.com warehouse

This year's event took on even more significance as it was seen as a bellwether of consumer sentiment in the world's number two economy as it recovers from the pain of coronavirus lockdowns. | A delivery worker pulls a cart with parcels at a JD.com's smart logistics center .

As the country emerges from the effects of the virus and containment measures, the recovery in retail sales has lagged that seen in industrial sectors, but analysts have said it is gaining pace. And the temptation of a bargain helped that recovery. | An employee checks items to be delivered to customers on Singles' Day at the warehouse of Suning Logistics Network in Shenyang.

Employees sort parcels at JD.com's automated logistics center.

Workers load parcels onto a conveyor belt at a warehouse for online retailer JD.com.

An employee packages items to be delivered to customers on Singles' Day at the warehouse of Suning Logistics Network in Shenyang.

Delivery workers load parcels onto their electric tricycles at a JD.com's smart logistics center.

An employee transfers packages to be delivered on Singles' Day at the warehouse of Suning Logistics Network in Shenyang.

A worker loading packages on a train at Nanchang Railway Station in China's central Hunan province during the annual Singles' Day shopping festival.

Delivery workers move parcels from an automated sorting belt to carts at a JD.com's smart logistics center.