Today is Singles Day — one of the biggest sale days worldwide, and the start of a long stretch of November promotions leading up to Black Friday. You’ll find more deals than usual in this post — because everyone shops differently, and today is a good chance to save on things you actually want or need. If your workday gets derailed by shopping, I apologise in advance (but also, you’re welcome).
Note: this article contains affiliate links, which are marked with *.
🛍️ What is Singles Day and Why Should You Care?
Singles Day falls on November 11 (11/11 — four ones in a row). It started in China as a cheeky celebration of being single, but quickly became a major shopping day thanks to Alibaba — and has since spread far beyond Asia.
In Germany, there used to be just Black Friday — one big sale and that was it. But over the last few years, retailers have stretched things out, and now everyone has their own take on it: there is Cyber Monday, Cyber Weekend, Singles Day, Black Weeks, Black November and what-have-you. What this means in practice: deals all month long.
Are the deals actually good or is it all just a marketing ploy?
In my experience, there are absolutely good deals to be had — especially if you know where to look. Some brands roll out their best prices of the year during this stretch, particularly on bigger-ticket items like electronics and software. Others might not offer anything wildly different from their usual promos — but even then, you’re still saving compared to the regular price.
Overall, if you’ve been planning a larger purchase, November is usually a good time to go for it. Personally, if I know I’ll need something expensive later in the year, I’m usually happy to wait a couple of months for the November deals.
What should you buy on Singles Day?
Honestly — whatever you need, and whatever you were planning to get anyway. If there’s a specific product on your list, now’s the time to check if it’s discounted. Just search for the exact model or brand on Google, or go straight to the retailer’s site. If you have a favourite store, it’s worth signing up to their newsletter so that you don’t miss their deals.
That said, some categories are particularly strong in November. Electronics and gadgets are at the top of that list — household appliances (washing machines, vacuum cleaners, blenders), TVs, smartphones, speakers, headphones are often heavily discounted. I also spot some of the best software deals this time of year, especially on annual subscriptions. Plus, I use this time to stock up on everyday things I actually buy and use a lot — coffee capsules, skincare, supplements.
🖥️ Best Deals on Tech, Appliances, and Gadgets
The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Singles Day or Black Friday is electronics. The discounts are often substantial, and when the item you’re buying costs a few hundred euros, 20-50% off makes a real difference. If there’s something on your list, this is a great time to check it off.
MediaMarkt* has one of the better Singles Day offers this year — up to 60% off selected items, running until 8:59 AM on November 13. They’re also running Blitz-Deals, which are short-term offers that last a day or so – this is often where the best discounts are. I was helping a friend to choose a dryer for the past two weeks, and we finally found a ridiculously good deal on an AEG dryer with 52% off in MediaMarkt’s Blitz-Deals yesterday, so now someone's gonna have really fluffy towels.
MediaMarkt isn’t the only place running strong electronics offers this week — here are a few others that are worth a look:
Coolblue* has good offers on laptops, monitors, smartphones and home tech
Cyberport* is another go-to for electronics, especially Apple — they have really good prices on MacBooks and Airpods
Amazon*, naturally, is also a good place to shop for electronics. Today, I saw some good deals on TVs, electric toothbrushes, headphones, blenders and more
Besides the big multi-brand retailers, SharkNinja is also worth checking out. Ninja* makes good air fryers, blenders and coffee machines; and Shark* is a premium brand of vacuums and beauty tools – heavily inspired by Dyson, but somewhat more affordable. They have a very convincing sale running right now, and for Singles Day, there’s an additional 11% off almost everything with the code SINGLE11 (advertisement) — valid until November 12, 10 AM.
I always find very good deals at MediaMarkt in Black November.
☕️ Best Deals on Food, Drinks & Supplements
This category doesn’t get as much attention during November sales, but it’s one of the most useful – at least for me. I buy from these shops anyway, so I often use this time to restock on things I know I’ll go through in the coming months. Coffee, vitamins, wine – pick your drug of choice and enjoy the discount.
Roastmarket: A go-to store for specialty coffee beans and gear. €11 off orders over €69, valid only on November 11. Shop the sale*.
iHerb: Vitamins and supplements at a unbeatable price, pantry goods, personal care – all shipped fast from the US. 20% off sitewide on orders over €50 with code 25DOUBLE11 (advertisement) until Nov 12, 7 PM CET. Shop the sale*. I’ve been a fan for over 10 years – you can read my full guide to iHerb here.
MyProtein: Protein powder, snacks, and fitness supplements. Up to 60–70% off, plus an extra 12% with code DACH25 (advertisement) — valid through Nov 20. Shop the sale*.
Weinfreunde: Also important for your health (probably): wine. This store has quality wine, often from small producers. They’re running a solid Singles Day sale, and you can get extra 12% off with the code SINGLE12 (advertisement) today. Shop the sale*.
Amazon: Deep discounts on Lindt chocolates. Not the brand I expected to dominate on the Amazon homepage today, but I'll take it. Treat yourself here*.
I get all my vitamins and supplements from iHerb, and 20% off is a good opportunity to stock up.
🛍️ Best Shopping Deals on Everything Else
This is the “everything else” category — cookware, skincare, AliExpress randomness, beauty discounts, software.
Lidl: 11% off everything in the online shop only on November 11. Contrary to what you might expect, Lidl online shop does not sell groceries, but affordable cookware, power tools, sports gear, wine etc. Code Sales11 (advertisement) must be activated in your free Lidl Plus account. Shop here*.
AliExpress: One of the original Singles Day destinations. Promo codes published on the site offer tiered savings — for example, €3 off €15, €12 off €69 or €40 off €249. Valid through Nov 19. Shop the sale*.
Temu: A faster, shinier cousin of AliExpress. Up to 80% off, no code needed — and first-time app users get extra discounts. Shop the sale*.
Amazon: Personal care, games, backpacks, socks, boxers and probably many other things. Go down the rabbit hole*.
Notino: My longtime favorite for beauty and fragrance – the prices and selection are unbeatable. 11% off with code singles on orders over €10, or 22% off in the app with singlesapp (advertisement). Free shipping from €25. Shop here*.
Lyko: Even outside promotions, Lyko consistently has some of the best prices on beauty products, and I often find brands there that I can't find anywhere else. Today, you can get up to 70% off plus an extra 11% off as part of their Singles Day sale. Check it out*.
Momox: Don't want to buy anything today? Sell instead. Get a 15% bonus when you sell at least €20 worth of clothing, or €20 worth of books and media. Code: BETTER15 (advertisement). I'm also taking this opportunity to declutter my bookshelf! Sell here*.
Blinkist: Get a yearly Blinkist Premium plan for €20 (down from €79.99). Offer includes unlimited access to 7,500+ book summaries — available in both text and audio. Nice for bite-sized learning if you’re tired of 3-hour podcast episodes. Sign up here*.
Beauty retailers run many sales during the year, so this is not a now-or-never opportunity — but there are still some deals to be had. Image © Lyko
That wraps up this week’s round-up of ways to save money in Germany. If you’d like these deals, cashback offers, and money tips delivered straight to your inbox, you can subscribe to my newsletter here. It’s free, and every week I send practical deals and tips that make life here a little easier and cheaper.
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