Real-time data on the screen shows the final volume of this year's Singles' Day shopping spree on Alibaba platforms. [Photo/Qianjiang Evening News]

Seen by many as China's version of the US's Black Friday, Singles' Day is an annual online shopping spree held on Nov 11 each year. It has grown into a huge battleground for market share among Chinese e-commerce companies, each offering incredible discounts across a vast range of products. This year, Singles’ Day ended once again with a jaw-dropping sales record.

Sales for the 24-hour shopping spree hit 120.7 billion yuan ($17.72 billion) across 235 countries and regions. 

The sales volume far exceeded the 91.2 billion yuan it generated last year, as consumers went into a "hand chopping" mode -- a phrase that Chinese netizens coined to describe the guilty feeling after a spending frenzy.

Since its beginning, sales have increased year-on-year. And this year was no different, with 10 billion yuan ($1.47 billion) in orders placed in the first six minutes and 58 seconds. It took just 19 hours to exceed last year's total.

What's worth mentioning is that some 82 percent of Singles' Day transactions were made on mobile phones. "This reflects a huge change in our lifestyle. People are able to shop online, while in bed or on their sofa at any time," said Zhang Yong, CEO of Alibaba. 

Behind the record-breaking numbers was a singing-and-dancing countdown gala with international celebrities such as David and Victoria Beckham and Kobe Bryant. Singles' Day also saw the opening of the world's first VR (virtual reality) store on Alibaba's Tmall, live streaming videos, as well as UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) and intelligent robots carrying out courier services.

Intelligent AGVs (automatic guided vehicles) are revolutionizing warehouse distribution in e-commerce. [Photo/zjol.com.cn] 

According to data released by Alibaba, Zhejiang's consumption ranked second among the provinces and cities in China, with Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang, ranked fourth among all cities. 

Jack Ma, chairman of Alibaba, said the greatest meaning of Nov 11 is to promote the construction of China's commercial infrastructure and to improve technology. "There will be another 100 Singles' Day shopping sprees, and they will be not only for China, but for the US, Europe and even the whole world," Ma said.