Alibaba enjoys record sales for Singles Day shopping extravaganza in China

Company's combined sales with industry rival JD.com up about a fifth from 2020

The Chinese e-commerce titan Alibaba enjoyed record sales during its Singles Day shopping extravaganza, giving a much-needed boost to the firm after a torrid year in which it became the symbol of a government crackdown that hammered the country's tech sector.

The firm said 540.3bn yuan ($84.5bn) was spent as China's army of consumers went on a splurge despite a more low-key sales campaign after pressure from the government to tone down the aggressive promotions and rampant consumerism.