Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group is set to host  a global shopping festival on Thursday.

The 24-hour online shopping event, introduced in 2009, generated US$14.3 million in sales last year.

According to a report by kompas.com,  the company will expand its sales area and add more fun and interactive activities like a virtual reality shopping experience and a gala night prior to the festival. “Until Nov. 11, customers will be able to discover, explore, play, leave comments, share recommendations and shop from our online and offline merchants,” said Alibaba CEO Daniel Zhang.

Customers will be able to purchase items from more than 60,000 offline stores, including Uniqlo, Gap, Intime, electronic suppliers and China’s shopping malls during the event. Product availability will be updated according to stocks in the offline shops.

(Read also: Indonesian online shoppers ride e-commerce growth wave)

American pop singer Katy Perry will reportedly participate in the festival's 11.11 Countdown Gala Celebration in Shenzen, China. The singer is said to be the company’s global ambassador.

Alibaba  has 400 million users and is seen as a gateway for international brands to enter the Chinese market. Among previous participants of the shopping festival are global brands Adidas, Procter & Gamble, Estee Lauder and Costco. While this year, brands to take part include Burberry, Apple, Target, Maserati, Victoria’s Secret and French cosmetics Guerlain.

“Over the past seven years, 11.11 Shopping Festival has become the benchmark in online retail sales. We continue to increase the target this year to give the best shopping experience for consumers and merchants around the world,’ said Zhang. (jes/kes)

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