France’s attempt to suspend Chinese online retailer Shein’s marketplace was rejected by the Paris Court of Appeal on Thursday, a victory for the fast-fashion giant following a scandal involving child-like sex dolls found for sale on its website.
Initially, the French State pushed for a total ban on the Shein website, but later backtracked and suspended the marketplace, a decision rejected by the French courts, which is why the government appealed the decision.
Shein, which sells low-priced clothes, gadgets and accessories and has won over millions of cash-strapped shoppers around the world, has been under pressure in France since November, when the French consumer watchdog found banned sex dolls and weapons for sale, prompting the government to take legal action.
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Shein sells its own branded clothing on its website, but it also has a vast marketplace where third-party sellers list products covering everything from kitchenware to smartphones. After the scandal, the retailer suspended its market in France, reopening it only after the December decision.
“The court of appeals confirmed the (December) ruling in all its provisions and rejected the other demands presented by the State,” the court said in a statement.
The court upheld its previous ruling that Shein cannot sell such products on its marketplace again without adequate age verification measures.
Following the ruling, the government said in a statement that it will be “extremely vigilant” to ensure Shein implements the conditions set by the court.
Since the doll incident, Shein no longer allows third-party sellers to list sex dolls on any of its marketplaces and is implementing age verification measures for other products, a company spokesperson said.
Shein said in a statement following Thursday’s decision that ‘in recent months, we have continued to significantly strengthen our controls for sellers and products on our marketplace, to ensure that our consumers in France can enjoy a safe and enjoyable online shopping experience.’
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The company said it has maintained a ‘close dialogue’ with French and European authorities and is engaging with the European Commission on age verification measures ‘which are being phased in across several global markets’.
Last month, the European Union opened a formal investigation into Shein in relation to illegal products and the platform’s potentially addictive design, in accordance with the bloc’s Digital Services Law.
Despite the court ruling, Shein is likely to still face government pressure in France. The country’s Minister for Small and Medium Enterprises said last month that online retailers like Shein will face a ‘year of resistance’, saying the platform benefits from unfair competition with European retailers.
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