This year's Singles' Day 11.11 sales event in Singapore is expected to shatter 2019's 11.11 sales record, The Straits Times reported.

Physical department stores in Singapore are going into e-commerce and are increasingly selling their wares online, a trend largely driven by the Covid-19 pandemic that hit Singapore in January.

Brick-and-mortar stores giving online sales a shot

Participating in the 11.11 event on Wednesday, Nov. 11 are traditional brick-and-mortar stores.

Isetan and Marks & Spencer have started selling their products on online shopping site Lazada for the very first time this year.

Metro, which made its Lazada debut on Black Friday in 2019, will also be offering Singles' Day promotions on the platform for the first time this year too.

BHG will offer 11.11 and Black Friday sales, having launched its own shopping site in June.

Black Friday in 2020 falls on Nov. 27.

Record-breaking year for online sales

This year's 11.11 is expected to shatter last year's 11.11 records, ST reported.

Lazada said it is seeing over three times more sellers participating in its 11.11 sales this year compared to 2019.

Logistics provider Ninja Van has more than doubled its usual manpower, as parcel volume is set to triple this year.

Offline to online

Traditional retail sales in Singapore have been badly hit due to the virus.

Department stores are among the worst hit, with sales falling 39.8 per cent in September from the year before.

While online sales is seen as picking up, it is still not enough.

Online sales is not completely making up for the shortfall, but the prediction is that the method of shopping by customers will shift towards e-commerce as the pandemic has altered people's behaviour.

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