Paris, protests and packed aisles: Shein’s arrival at the BHV Marais has divided opinion in France.. (Photo by Firas Abdullah/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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No-one does public outcry like the French and boy are they not happy about Shein opening its first store within the BHV Marais department store in central Paris.
The run up to Shein’s debut on Nov. 5 triggered far more than the usual eager expectation and fanfare, it ignited a political, cultural and industrial backlash in France that has touched on questions of national identity, ethical consumption and the future direction of French fashion.
Yet despite the furore, the store has already attracted “more than 50,000 visitors” according to Frédéric Merlin, President of Société des Grands Magasins (SGM), which owns BHV, in its opening days and he reported an average basket of over $52 for customers, and said that “nearly 15% of them went on to shop in other departments” of the department store.
He also went on to say he wanted to “expand the capsule with a more comprehensive menswear range, a children’s area, a broader range of dresses, and more accessible basics to cater for all lifestyles”.
Not much contrition evident there.
Indeed, the bullish response from BHV is consistent with its unapologetic approach since the announcement of Shein’s imminent debut was first made a few weeks back and despite an immediate backlash, the department store management doubled down, with a huge poster outside the store featuring the CEOs of the retailer and department store group ahead of the opening.
Shein has taken about 10,000-sq,-ft. inside BHV, with accessories starting from as little as a dollar and it give the digital brand a physical presence that elevates its visibility and perhaps its credibility in a key European market, especially amid U.S. tariffs.
According to SGM, introducing the store aims to “attract a younger clientele” and support traffic that may buy both ultra-low-cost items from Shein and higher priced goods elsewhere in BHV.
More French Shein Stores Planned
And SGM confirmed that it has no intention of cancelling plans for the other five permanent stores slated for further French cities operated within the franchised Galeries Lafayette network.
But that has not gone down well with Galeries Lafayette, which is furious and has refused to have anything to do with Shein and has said that it will withdraw its name from the stores in Angers, Dijon, Grenoble, Le Mans, Limoges, Orléans and Reims.
To understand the furore, you have to remember that France has for decades positioned itself as a global leader in luxury, craft and sartorial heritage and the arrival of the ultra-fast-fashion player was immediately framed by many as an affront to those values.
Shein’s new 10,000-sq.-ft. store in Paris opened on Nov. 5 and has attracted an estimated 50,000 visitors. Photographer: Benjamin Girette/Bloomberg
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Critics within France’s fashion industry and beyond accused the company of undermining locally based brands, sacrificing environmental and labor standards and promoting a disposable-fashion culture.
Reflecting concerns among the city authorities, the deputy mayor of Paris for commerce declared: “We are totally against this. It is the complete opposite of Paris’s policy to develop independent shops and support products that are made in France.”
Brands Pull Out As Shein Arrives
In support, a number of independent French brands have pulled their products from BHV in protest, among them the footwear label Odaje and the shirtmaker Figaret Paris, claiming they could not share shelf space with Shein.
Labor unions at BHV have also staged strikes and protests, warning that the idea of bringing in a retailer whose model is relentlessly low-cost and high-volume posed a threat to job quality in the department store and the broader retail sector.
France has already introduced legislation aimed at curbing fast fashion and its environmental consequences; in parallel, Shein was under investigation by the European Commission for illegal product risks and had already been fined around $221 million in France earlier this year for breaches including online advertising and cookie tracking.
But nothing exposes the contradictions of what people say and what they do quite like fast fashion. In one Ipsos-BVA poll, 52 % of French respondents opposed Shein’s arrival at BHV and only 22 % approved. But shoppers have still packed the new store.
Yet for BHV the partnership is undoubtedly risky. On one hand it offers a shot at revitalizing footfall and relevance in a retail class that is under enormous pressure amid shifting consumer habits, on the other the arrival of Shein puts its brand identity at sharp odds with Parisian cultural values.