The Chinese online fast fashion giant Shein has opened its first physical shop in Europe in a historic department store in central Paris.
So what. This has caused ructions and the deployment of riot police in the capital of haute couture. Plans to open shops in other French cities are expected to cause more protests, borne from
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accusations that Shein is part of a “commercial invasion”;
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outrage at Shein briefly selling childlike sex dolls on its platform; and
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claims the company is an existential threat to French business and culture.
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Marketing coup. On the basis that there is no such thing as bad publicity, Shein hit the jackpot. Shoppers turned up three hours before the retailer opened on the sixth floor of the BHV department store last week. BHV said Shein attracted 50,000 shoppers in its first few days.
Fashion frenzy. Riot police sealed off BHV’s entrances as the queue of Shein fans, some of whom had taken the day off work, snaked down the street.
Protests. But the police presence failed to deter activists who entered the store, screamed “shame” and protested against Shein’s alleged labour practices. They were removed by security guards when they set off a stink bomb.
Meanwhile, shortly after the store opened, French ministers announced they were seeking to suspend access to Shein’s website until the company could prove it wasn’t selling goods that failed to meet French and European regulations.
Reject the dolls. Shein has said it will fully cooperate with Paris prosecutors investigating it for listing childlike sex dolls. The retailer said the dolls were being sold by third-party vendors and had been removed from its platform.
Encore une fois. A backlash against Shein was inevitable in France, a country fiercely protective of its world-renowned couture industry and mode de vie. The fast food giant McDonald’s faced a similar push back in 1999 when French farmers, led by the moustached pipe-smoking José Bové, dismantled one of its restaurants.
Wait and see. France is now McDonald’s second biggest market.
Onside. Frédéric Merlin, whose company runs BHV, hailed the arrival of Shein and said more shops would open in Reims, Dijon, Limoges, Grenoble and Angers later this month.
Offside. Galeries Lafayette, the prestigious name under which SGM stores operate, said it wanted nothing to do with Shein and that the stores must change their name.
Outside. The fashion designer agnès b said she would close her BHV stand in January when her contract with the store ends. Other labels have threatened to follow suit.
Existential crisis. Socialist MP Emmanuel Grégoire, a candidate to become Paris mayor next year, says Shein’s arrival “goes beyond the simple opening of a store … it’s a choice of society and a battle for the future we want to pass on to our children.”
Bottom line. Merlin says he hopes the arrival of Shein will revive the retail market, create jobs and generate an additional €30 million for his business.
Not so secret weapon. Tax is the French government’s tool of choice. The National Assembly is considering imposing a €2 tax on small parcels sent from outside the EU, which would hit the Asian e-commerce sites that make up 20 per cent of the country’s post.
That said… any tax is likely to be as popular with the public as a previous plan to cut two bank holidays, which brought down the government.
Photograph by Firas Abdullah/ Anadolu via Getty Images.