A litmus test of e-commerce's ability to serve

Singles Day, celebrated on Nov 11, has become not only China's answer to Cyber Monday in the United States but also the world's biggest shopping spree.

It was reported that Alibaba's customers spent a total of $9.3 billion on the company's two e-stores last Singles Day, up significantly from the full-day tally of $5.8 billion in 2013.

This year, in addition to all the lavish commercials, China's e-commerce giants have even decided to stage a spectacular TV show, a potential rival to the Spring Festival Gala.