All singing, all dancing TV gala seeks to lure shoppers

But new breed of super shopper poses challenge, according to industry analysts

From a Chinese-style variety show performed by A-list stars to support shopping with virtual reality goggles and delivering purchases by drones, Chinese e-commerce majors are going all the way to spice things up, aiming to set new sales records on Singles Day, the biggest annual online shopping event that falls on Nov 11.

For the second time, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd held a television gala on Thursday night that ran in the hours leading up to the festival's midnight launch.