Newscafe’s 11:11 Single’s Day special quickly spiralled out of control after South Africans turned up in droves for the promotion.
The restaurant was one of many retailers who offered enticing offers to their “single” customers.
Like Black Friday, Singles’ Day has become a major shopping event in November.
NEWSCAFE’S OVERWHELMED BY DEMAND FOR 11:11 SPECIAL
Like many retailers, Newscafe offered a Single’s Day special – which they dubbed 11:11. The restaurant offered a burger and chips meal for R11, which they claimed was “valid all day.”
While patrons were generally happy with the offer, the stock soon ran out after the restaurant was inundated with customers.
In clips posted on social media, long queues were seen spiralling around the entrances of various Newscafe’s around the country.
The restaurant also ran out of burger buns and chips and, according to some, substituted them with dry bread, sweet potatoes, and even carrots. Others claimed they were served on paper plates, as the restaurant could not keep up with the demand.
@just_business7 We got our burgers though😂🤚🏽#newscafe #lunchdate #justbusiness ♬ original sound – sbunzima
On social media, patrons expressed their disappointment and even claimed they felt “disrespected.”
@mr_graphy_sa: “The disrespect!”
@refilweradebe: “Single people settling for whatever is available.”
@sisa_magwaza: “What scam is this, Newscafe?”
WHAT IS SINGLE’S DAY?
Singles’ Day takes place annually on 11 November and is a term coined to celebrate the numeric play on the date – 11/11 – which looks like four ones, or four singles, standing together.
The day was initially called Bachelor’s Day and originated in China in 1993 as an “unofficial holiday and shopping season that celebrates people who are not in relationships.”
The numerals 11/11 are significant in that the number ‘1’ resembles a “bare stick,” which is Chinese slang for an unmarried man who has not “branched out” into a tree.
Image by gonghuimin468 from Pixabay
The popularity of the day spread on social media and has since become a widespread phenomenon.
As with Black Friday – the colloquial term given to the Friday after the US celebration of Thanksgiving – Singles’ Day in South Africa has become a significant shopping event on the calendar.
Many online retailers in the country – like Newscafe – offered enticing sales and offers to celebrate the day and “spoil yourself” as a single person.
DID YOU TAKE ADVANTAGE OF NEWSCAFE’S 11:11 SPECIAL?
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