7th November 2025 - 10 min read
Malaysian shoppers face two major sales every November: the 11.11 sale (Singles’ Day) on 11 November and Black Friday on 29 November. Both offer substantial discounts, but they operate differently and excel in different categories.
The 11.11 sale started in China and dominates Asian e-commerce platforms like Shopee and Lazada. Black Friday began in the United States and has spread globally through international retailers. If you’re planning where to spend your money this month, understanding the strengths of each sale helps you grab the best deals.
The 11.11 sale runs primarily on Southeast Asian platforms. Shopee and Lazada compete fiercely during this period, offering platform vouchers, free shipping, and flash deals throughout the day. The sale typically starts at midnight and runs for 24 hours, with some platforms extending deals for the entire week.
Black Friday happens two weeks later and focuses more on international brands and Western retailers. You’ll find better deals on platforms like Sephora, Shein, Zalora, and global marketplaces. The sale period usually runs from Friday through to Cyber Monday (the following Monday), giving you four days to shop.
11.11 performs better for:
Black Friday wins for:
The pattern is straightforward: if the product originates in Asia or comes from local sellers, 11.11 usually offers better prices. If you’re buying international brands or Western products, Black Friday tends to give you more savings.
Shopee and Lazada (Peak on 11.11)
Both platforms go all-out for 11.11. Last year, Shopee offered vouchers of up to RM100 off and free shipping with no minimum spend. Lazada matched this with similar vouchers plus additional bank discounts of 10-15% when using specific credit cards.
Add items to your cart a week before 11.11, set price alerts, and grab platform vouchers early. Popular items sell out fast, especially during flash sales at midnight, 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm, and 9pm. The best deals appear during these hourly windows.
Do note that not all “discounts” are genuine. Sellers sometimes inflate prices before the sale, then apply a big discount sticker to make it look impressive. Check price history tools or track items for a few weeks before the sale to know if you’re getting a real deal.
Sephora and International Beauty (Peak on Black Friday)
Sephora Malaysia typically offers 20% off during Black Friday, sometimes increasing to 25% for VIB Rouge members. This is rare for Sephora since they usually cap discounts at 15% during other sales. Stock up on brands like Drunk Elephant, Rare Beauty, or Glow Recipe during this window.
International beauty sites like Cult Beauty and Lookfantastic also run 20-25% site-wide sales. Shipping to Malaysia can take 2-3 weeks, so factor this into your planning if you need products urgently.
Shein and Fast Fashion (Peak on Black Friday)
Shein runs sales constantly, but their Black Friday deals combine with free shipping thresholds that actually make sense for Malaysian shoppers. Last year, they offered up to 80% off selected items plus free shipping on orders over RM150, which is achievable when buying multiple pieces.
Other international fashion retailers like Shein and Zalora also align their biggest sales with Black Friday. If you’ve been eyeing specific pieces, this is when you’ll see 30-50% off instead of the usual 20% during other sales.
Stacking multiple discounts together can save you 20-30% beyond the sale price. Both sales allow this, but the mechanics differ.
11.11 voucher stacking on Shopee/Lazada:
A typical 11.11 stack: RM500 cart value – RM50 platform voucher – RM15 in seller vouchers – RM5 coins redeemed – RM45 bank discount (10%) = final price of RM385. That’s 23% off your original cart.
Black Friday stacking on international sites:
The stacking is simpler but still effective. A RM400 Sephora order with 25% off (RM100), 8% ShopBack cashback (RM32), and 2x credit card points saves you RM132 plus points.
This is where 11.11 wins for many Malaysian shoppers. Shopee and Lazada both offer extensive free shipping during the sale, often with no minimum spend or very low thresholds of RM30-50.
Black Friday deals from international retailers look fantastic until you add shipping costs. A 30% discount becomes less attractive when you’re paying RM40-80 for standard shipping or RM100-150 for express delivery.
The workaround is reaching free shipping thresholds, which usually sit at RM150-300 depending on the retailer. This means either buying more than you planned or splitting orders with friends to share shipping costs.
Some international platforms like Shein and Zalora offer free shipping during Black Friday if you hit their minimum spend. Check these thresholds before assuming you’ll save money on a single item.
Using the right credit card adds an extra 10-20% on top of existing sale prices. Malaysian banks run special promotions during both 11.11 and Black Friday, but you need to know which cards work best with which platforms.
For Shopee and Lazada (11.11 and beyond):
Maybank cards consistently offer the strongest discounts on both platforms. During major sales, Maybank typically provides RM10-50 off vouchers with a minimum spend of RM30-300. The Maybank Shopee Visa Platinum card gives additional perks year-round, including exclusive vouchers and priority customer service.
CIMB cards work well on Lazada specifically, often offering RM20-50 off during sale periods. CIMB’s e-Credit card sometimes gets exclusive one-day deals with steep discounts like RM49 off a RM50 minimum spend, though these sell out fast.
UOB cards give decent discounts on both platforms, usually RM27-37 off with RM200 minimum spend. The UOB ONE card is particularly useful because it gives you unlimited cashback on general spending, which includes e-commerce purchases.
For international retailers (Black Friday):
American Express cards often provide extra discounts at international retailers during Black Friday. Amex cardholders can get an additional 10% off at selected overseas merchants on top of the Black Friday sale price. The catch is that not all Malaysian e-commerce sites accept Amex, so this works best for direct international purchases.
Standard Chartered cards sometimes offer up to 15% cashback on selected categories during Black Friday, particularly for fashion and lifestyle purchases. Their promotions tend to favour premium and luxury goods rather than everyday items.
HSBC credit cards provide decent cashback for overseas spending, typically around 12%. This applies when you’re buying from international sites during Black Friday, making the effective discount higher than just the sale price.
Cashback credit cards for everyday use:
If you don’t want to track specific promotions, cashback cards simplify the process. The Maybank 2 Cards (Gold or Platinum) give you up to 5% cashback on weekend spending, which covers both 11.11 (falls on a Monday in 2025, but weekend deals often start earlier) and Black Friday (which is literally a Friday).
The UOB ONE card provides unlimited cashback when you meet certain spending thresholds across categories like groceries, petrol, and general spending. If you’re buying household items or stocking up during either sale, this cashback applies automatically without needing to hunt for promo codes.
How to stack credit card discounts:
Combine credit card promotions with platform vouchers for maximum savings. On Shopee during 11.11, you might use a Maybank card to get RM50 off, stack a platform voucher for an additional RM50 discount, add a seller voucher for RM10, then redeem coins for another RM3. That’s RM113 off before you even consider the item’s sale price.
Do note that credit card vouchers often have limited slots. Banks typically cap their promotions at the first 500-1000 transactions per day, so you need to claim vouchers early and check out quickly during peak sale hours.
Bank instalment plans:
Both sales periods also feature 0% instalment plans from various banks. If you’re making a large purchase like a laptop or appliance, spreading payments over 6-12 months without interest can help manage cash flow. Maybank, CIMB, and Public Bank all offer these plans during major sales, usually with minimum spends of RM500-1000.
The advantage of instalments during sale periods is that you lock in the discounted price while spreading the payment. Just check that the instalment plan is genuinely 0% interest and not a “low processing fee” that effectively works out to the same cost.
This is where 11.11 on local platforms edges ahead for Malaysian shoppers. Shopee and Lazada both offer buyer protection with easy returns and refunds through the platform. You can open disputes directly in the app, and resolutions typically happen within a week.
International Black Friday purchases come with more complexity. Return shipping often falls on you, and sending items back overseas can cost RM50-100 or more. Some retailers like Zalora offer local returns, but many international sites require you to ship items back to their home country at your expense.
Before buying from international retailers during Black Friday, check their return policy. Some offer full refunds but charge return shipping. Others offer store credit only. Factor this into your decision, especially for items you’re unsure about, like clothing sizes or makeup shades.
If you have a shopping list for November, split it strategically between both sales.
Use 11.11 for everyday items you need anyway. Stock up on household essentials, local fashion basics, skincare you use regularly, and electronics from Asian brands. The convenience of fast local shipping and easy returns makes this worthwhile even if the discount is 20% instead of 30%.
Save Black Friday for special purchases or international brands you can’t get locally at good prices. If you’ve been wanting that specific Drunk Elephant serum or a pair of running shoes from an international brand, Black Friday pricing plus cashback can beat local retail by 30-40%.
The shops that participate heavily in one sale usually don’t offer equivalent deals during the other. Shopee and Lazada save their biggest vouchers for 11.11, while Sephora and international fashion retailers go biggest during Black Friday. Plan accordingly rather than hoping for the same deals twice.
Neither sale is universally better. Your choice depends on what you’re buying.
For most Malaysian shoppers buying everyday items, electronics, and local products, 11.11 offers better value with more convenient shipping and returns. The deals are comparable to Black Friday, but you save on shipping costs and avoid international return complications.
For shoppers targeting international beauty, fashion, or specific Western brands, Black Friday delivers better discounts on products that don’t see major price cuts at other times. The extra shipping cost and wait time are worth it when you’re saving RM100-200 on premium products.
Use both sales for what they do best. Check your shopping list, separate Asian products from international ones, and hit both sales with a clear plan instead of impulse buying. We cover major online sales every month, so you’ll know exactly when the next big discount period hits.
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