Sébastien Lecorny announced that he is starting the process of stopping the operation of the platform until it complies with the laws of the country. At the same time, the company’s first physical store opens amid a storm of reactions and protests.
“By order of the prime minister, the government is initiating a shutdown process” of the Chinese business “to give the platform time to demonstrate to authorities that all of its content complies with our laws and regulations,” his office said in a statement. Also, it is noted in the announcement of the services of the presidency of the government that “a first check will be carried out by the ministers in the next 48 hours”.
At the same time, to ensure that all products meet “its standards”. He clarifies that he had planned this interruption before the French government’s announcement. His representative explained that an urgent consultation with the competent authorities is being sought.
The “sex toys” that put the “lock”
Shein has been subject to administrative sanctions and judicial review following the backlash in France over the online sale of “sex toys” made to look like children.
The company said it imposed “severe sanctions” on traders and strengthened controls, as it said it would disclose the details of the buyers of the specific products to the French judicial authorities. At the same time, he declared that he would also put restrictions on doll sellers. “While each seller is responsible for their own listings, Shein does not tolerate any violation of its internal rules and policies,” the company’s statement said.
All this was the main reason that led to the suspension of his online platform in France. In fact, from Monday he is the subject of an investigation by the Paris prosecutor’s office and will receive questions from a commission of inquiry of the National Assembly.
However, since the announcement of its imminent arrival in early October, the government, Paris mayor’s office, elected officials, associations and players in the French clothing industry have condemned the company’s appearance in France. This was even before the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention (DGCCRF) on Saturday exposed the sale of baby girl dolls as “sex toys”.
Weapons were also found
French lawmaker Antoine Vermorel-Marquez had earlier on Wednesday flagged listings on Shein’s website for weapons including iron fists, which are banned in France, and an axe. “Enough with the child pornography dolls and now with the guns,” Trade and Small Business Minister Serge Papin told parliament on Wednesday, before ordering the platform to be suspended.
It is worth noting that France has experience in fighting online platforms – it suspended the American e-commerce marketplace Wish in 2021 after the competent consumer protection authority found dangerous products for sale on the website, allowing it again a year and a half later.
Shein “enters” the French market
Amidst the decision to suspend the platform, Paris welcomes Shein’s first physical store worldwide. Due to the unrest that has arisen, security measures at the BHV department store have been tight.
More clearly, indicative of the highly controversial nature of these openings at 1 p.m. on the 6th floor of the BHV department store, police forces were present around the store as early as Tuesday night, with the Paris Police Directorate monitoring the event with “special attention”.
The arrival of the platform, which was founded in China in 2012 and is now based in Singapore, highlights the tensions surrounding the regulation of e-commerce and “fast-fachion”, also known as “fast fashion”.
Targeted by a proposed law against “fast fashion”, the company has already been fined three times this year in France, totaling 191 million euros, for breaching cookie regulations, false advertising, misleading information and hiding details about its use of microfibre plastics.
The inauguration and the protests
Despite increased security inside and outside the BHV department store, scores of protesters were outside holding placards.
In particular, protesters chanted slogans and held various signs saying “Shame on Shein”. At the same time, the company is heavily criticized by French citizens for its low-cost business model.
But on the other hand, there were dozens of consumers who, after waiting in line for hours, almost “invaded” the 19th-century building in the city’s Marais shopping district at 1 p.m.
Physical stores are a problem in France
On the 6th floor of the BHV department store in France is the meeting point for Shein customers at noon to discover a 1,200 sq.m. Frédéric Merlan, the head of Société des Grands Magasins (SGM), Shein’s partner in France and owner of BHV since 2023, assured customers that the products sold in the store do not come from Shein’s online platform and that they meet European standards.
Even before Shein’s arrival at BHV, several French brands left the department store, denouncing a partnership that ran counter to their values and interests. Labor unions are also opposed.
Of course, of utmost importance is how consumers will react to these stores. In fact, to attract them and try to quell the resentment of other partner brands, with purchases made today at the Shein store customers will get a voucher of the same value that can be used elsewhere at BHV.
The brand, which claims 25 million customers in France, compared to other retail companies, according to a study.
Five more Shein stores will soon open in Dijon, Grenoble, Limoges, Angers and Rennes. The department stores that will host them will no longer be Galeries Lafayette but BHV, as the Galeries Lafayette group ended its contract with SGM to avoid its association with Shein.
The clothing industry and small businesses are particularly affected by the influx of products made in Asia, mainly China. In 2024, 4.6 billion parcels worth less than €150 were imported into the EU. The number of these duty-free parcels doubles every two years at the current rate.
