TOKYO -- When China's mobile payment app Alipay suffered a brief service disruption during this year's Singles Day on Nov. 11, it was a fitting metaphor for just how far the country's online shopping extravaganza has fallen.
Alibaba Group Holding, the e-commerce giant behind Alipay, started Singles Day in 2009 as a one-day sale. From there, it grew into an annual phenomenon marked by arena-filling events.
