Cross-border e-commerce takes off in new digital era

Nov 11, or the Singles Day, the online shopping festival invented by Alibaba, is just days away, and I can't wait to see what form this year's buy-buy-buy mania will take.

I'm certain about one thing though. On the second Sunday of November, Chinese consumers will chase foreign brands as if there were no tomorrow.

Online marketplaces such as Taobao, Tmall, JD and Amazon will pull out all the stops to give 11-11 a global character.