Singles’ Day sales up in Singapore ahead of GST hike

SINGAPORE shoppers seeking to beat a Goods and Services Tax (GST) hike next year may have boosted the Singles’ Day sales figures of e-commerce platforms, although consumer spending across categories was uneven.

Winston Goh, head of marketing at Shopee Singapore, told The Business Times that the platform saw “record-breaking” results during this year’s 11.11 sale across all countries, with a total global gross merchandise value of US$1 billion recorded within a single day.

Shopee Singapore reported 40 per cent year-on-year growth for travel-related items during this year’s 11.11, he said, as more Singaporeans prepare to travel overseas.