Singles’ Day, which began in the 1990s, has grown into the ultimate consumer phenomenon in China. A unique spin on the couples-focused Valentine’s Day, the day is celebrated on Nov 11. The date evokes the Chinese expression of “bare branches,” which stands for bachelors and spinsters.

Singles’ Day 2015

This year, Singles’ Day brought considerable good news for the overall e-Commerce market in China as bargain-hunting buyers shelled out billions shattering previous records.

Alibaba (BABA - Analyst Report) garnered a record $14.3 billion in sales. However, despite the e-Commerce extravaganza, the share price dropped. (Read more: Why Alibaba Shares Fell Despite Single’s Day Sales of $14.3 B)

Likewise, China’s top online direct sales company JD.com's (JD - Snapshot Report) total order volume increased a whopping 130% year over year, while its Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) surged 140% from the year-ago period.

Nasdaq.com reports than within a couple of minutes the company exceeded its 2010 Singles’ Day order volume; in 15 minutes, it surpassed its 2011 Singles’ Day orders; in half an hour, it crossed its 2012 Singles’ Day volume; and in just half the day, and it beat its 2013 Singles’ Day order volume.

Though JD.com did not reveal the GMV for 2014 Singles’ Day, it did mention that the figure had more than doubled than that of the previous year well before the day ended.

JD.com also stated that approximately 74% of the total orders received were from mobile customers via conventional application and Tencent Holdings (TCEHY) flagship product WeChat and Mobile QQ.

Stock Talk

While both Alibaba and JD.com did really well on Singles’ Day, their stocks responded differently.

Alibaba remained in the red, while U.S. shares of JD.com gained 5% in midday trading at $11.11. The improvement is mostly attributed to the better-than-expected Singles’ Day results.

Conclusion

Of late, JD.com has become increasingly popular among many international brands like Nike Inc (NKE - Analyst Report), Apple Inc. (AAPL - Analyst Report) and Adidas. This was mainly attributed to JD’s good reputation in the market and Alibaba’s recent counterfeited goods scandal.

In all, JD’s stock definitely performed better than Alibaba’s.

Over the long term, it would be interesting to watch out for JD.com. In the past, Alibaba ruled over China’s e-Commerce market, but this year’s Singles’ Day results show that rival JD.com is not far behind.

Meanwhile, the Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company is busy collaborating with other local technology firms to vie directly with Alibaba and seize its market share.