"Singles Day" -- named for its 11/11 date and first launched by tech giant Alibaba in 2009 -- has ballooned into a month-long promotional period for e-commerce platforms.
The shopping spree was once an annual opportunity for Alibaba and major rival JD.com to announce new purchase records, but they have withheld detailed sales totals in recent years.
"The discounts aren't as attractive now," said 29-year-old Shanghai resident Zhang Jing, who told AFP she bought "nothing" during this year's sales.
Zhang said she was discouraged by online platforms' increasingly complex promotions, which often require shoppers to claim multiple coupons or combine purchases in a specific order before they can enjoy a discount.
"I've never participated in these complicated rules, not once," she said.
Shi Xuebin, the 42-year-old owner of a clothing boutique, said she bought a new iPhone 17, but only because "I wanted to buy a new phone in the first place".
She told AFP she had bought far fewer Singles Day products compared to last year and that she had noticed a belt-tightening trend among Chinese consumers.
- 'Downgrading consumption' -
"I feel the general economy hasn't been great this year and people are avoiding buying things that aren't absolutely necessary," Shi said.
"Before, if you liked something, you'd buy it without much thought... but now, there's a real sense of downgrading consumption."
China's leaders have fought to overcome sluggish domestic spending, a protracted crisis in the property sector and a trade war with the United States.
The Communist Party's top brass vowed to "vigorously boost consumption" after a key planning meeting in Beijing last month.
Consumer prices have been stagnant or in decline in recent months, although they rose in October after a weeklong national holiday boosted demand for travel and food.
Zhu, a 30-year-old Shanghai resident who declined to give his full name, said his mother had taken advantage of November sales to stock up on household products such as laundry detergent and toilet paper.
However, outside daily necessities, Zhu said he mostly shopped second-hand instead of buying new versions of the tools and books he needed for his calligraphy hobby.
"We're pretty practical -- if I need something I will buy it but if I don't need it, I just won't get it no matter how cheap it is," he told AFP.
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