Spend to save? Lebanon's shoppers do the 11.11 math

November 11 is not a public holiday in Lebanon, but judging by the social media feeds and online shopping carts, it might as well be a holiday for bargain hunters.

Known as Singles’ Day, or simply 11.11, the shopping event originated in China before expanding into international markets, bringing discounts on everything from cosmetics and clothing to electronics and household goods. In Lebanon, it has joined Black Friday and the Christmas shopping season on an increasingly crowded retail calendar.

For some, November 11 is an opportunity to stock up on essentials, purchase Christmas gifts ahead of schedule, or finally justify an expensive skincare product. For others, the prospect of crowded malls, crashing websites, and questionable discounts is reason enough to stay home.

“Wait, what's 11/11?” Aya asked, when approached by The Beiruter about the annual sales.

Okay, so perhaps not everyone has caught on. But among those who have, the annual sales have inspired some rather creative accounting.

Ask Larissa, and she will tell you she actually saved money.

“The four products I bought would have been $120. On sale, they were $45,” she told The Beiruter.

“That's $75 saved,” she added, emphasizing the final word.

It is a textbook example of “girl math,” the tongue-in-cheek logic popularized on social media that treats money saved during a sale as money earned. Never mind that $45 still left her wallet. In Larissa's books, the transaction was a financial success.

The art of the bargain

The November sales have become something of an annual shopping strategy for Larissa, who deliberately postpones purchases of makeup and skincare products until the discounts arrive. With cosmetics often carrying substantial price tags in Lebanon, waiting a few months can make a considerable difference.

This year's purchases have included makeup, skincare products ,and Christmas gifts, while her brother has taken advantage of discounts on electronics. Complimentary gifts accompanying her purchases have only sweetened the deal.

Last year's shopping spree was so successful that she still has products left over, although she believes the discounts were more generous then.

She is not alone in finding this year's offers somewhat underwhelming.

Christina, who browses the promotions every November without necessarily buying anything, has also noticed fewer attractive deals. Nevertheless, a buy-one-get-one-free offer at a shoe shop in Zouk has caught her attention.

Having identified the pairs she wants online, she plans to visit the store after work, provided they have not already sold out.

Unlike makeup or clothing, which she is comfortable ordering online, shoes require an in-person visit.

“You have to try them on,” she explained.

The possibility of finding a bargain is part of the appeal, although Christina is discerning about what qualifies as a worthwhile discount.

“I just hope the offers are real discounts, not just 10% or 15%,” she said. “I want a genuinely big discount that I can benefit from.”

When a bargain isn't worth it

Of course, a discount is only attractive if the process of securing it is worth the trouble.

Clara, who would ordinarily look for makeup and haircare products during the sales, has decided to sit this year out.

Her frustration begins online, where heavy traffic can make ordering difficult. Websites crash, products become unavailable, and the apparent simplicity of clicking “add to cart” can quickly disappear.

The promotions themselves are not always particularly appealing, either.

“I don't really like the buy-one-get-one-free offers,” she said. “What if I only want one product?”

Some promotions restrict the second item to a particular brand or selection, leaving shoppers with a choice between buying something they do not necessarily want and abandoning the discount altogether.

Shopping in person offers little relief, according to Clara, who finds the malls too crowded to browse comfortably during major sales.

Not all shoppers, however, need to avoid the sales altogether to resist the temptation of unnecessary purchases.

Melanie purchased skincare and makeup from Nexus after finding products she already needed discounted by between 30% and 70%. But despite encountering other appealing offers, she resisted adding anything unnecessary to her cart.

“There were also products I liked that were on sale, but I didn't buy them because I already have them,” she said. “I prefer to buy things when I need them.”

Her approach offers a useful counterpoint to the logic of stocking up. A product discounted by 70% may be a bargain, but leaving it in the shopping cart costs nothing at all.

November's shopping calendar

The growing visibility of 11.11 promotions has added another occasion to a Lebanese retail calendar already crowded with seasonal discounts and holiday shopping.

The timing is particularly convenient for those hoping to get ahead of Christmas expenses. Rather than leaving their purchases until December, shoppers can take advantage of November promotions to spread the cost of gifts over several weeks.

Yet 11.11 also competes with Black Friday, which remains an important reference point for consumers comparing the year's biggest promotions.

Christina, for one, is unconvinced that November 11 necessarily offers the best deals. Black Friday provides another opportunity, and with retailers advertising discounts across multiple shopping events, deciding when to buy can become an exercise in patience.

The enthusiasm surrounding 11.11 is therefore not quite universal. Some shoppers have been waiting months to replenish their supplies, others are browsing without buying, and a few have decided the discounts are simply not worth the inconvenience.

As for Larissa, she has already secured her makeup, picked up Christmas gifts and walked away with products worth $120 for $45.

The remaining $75 may not have entered her bank account, but as far as girl math is concerned, it was money well saved.