shein

The Galeries Lafayette oppose the establishment of Shein in their stores

undefined undefined 7 octobre 2025 undefined 12h00

The Editor

©Le Bonbon/Yau Ming Low/Lilly Trott/Shutterstock

The giant of ultra fast-fashion, Shein, plans to set up shop at BHV Marais and Galeries Lafayette in November. This decision is strongly contested, especially by Galeries, who intend to oppose it firmly. 

It’s news that has ignited the anger of Parisians, and even more so of the French. On Wednesday, October 1, 2025, Shein, the Asian giant of fast fashion, announced the creation of its first physical store in the world. And where else but Paris, the fashion capital, has been chosen for this initially. Shein has notably signed an agreement with the Society of Department Stores (SGM), which owns the Galeries Lafayette and BHV Marais, where the ultra-fast fashion brand would set up shop as early as November. This project is contested on all sides, particularly by the Galeries Lafayette, which are planning to oppose this opening.


Conflicting Values and Practices

The response was clear: “Galeries Lafayette will prevent the implementation of this decision,” read a statement sent out by the department store on Wednesday, October 1, in response to Shein's announcement. The Galeries, managed by Nicolas Houzé, expressed disappointment over a project that is “contrary to the contractual conditions of affiliation that link the SGM group to Galeries Lafayette” and stated their “deep disagreement with this decision given the positioning and practices of this ultra fast-fashion brand, which contradicts their offerings and values. [...] Affiliates have some latitude...action to choose the brands they want to sell in their stores. These brands must align with the premium positioning of Galeries Lafayette, which is not the case for Shein ».


Growing calls for a boycott

Since the announcement, opposition and calls for a boycott have been numerous. On LinkedIn, the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, stated that « Paris denounces the establishment of Shein, a symbol of fast fashion at BHV Marais. [...] This choice is contrary to Paris's ecological and social ambitions, which supports responsible and sustainable local commerce. » Mathilde Lacombe, the co-founder of the brand Aime present at BHV, has affirmed that her brand will withdraw from the department store, and she urges her colleagues to do the same.

“I rarely speak publicly on this kind of topic, but here, staying silent was no longer an option,” she stated to our colleagues at Figaro. A petition has also been created by the collective “A Different World Is Possible” to oppose the arrival of Shein in Paris and across France. Over 71,900 signatures have already been collected.


An ecological and human aberration

With around 7000 new articles produced daily, using materials that are difficult or even impossible to recycle, the ultra fast-fashion brand represents an ecological disaster. In 2023, the NGO Friends of the Earth published a report showing that 470,000 garments were available every day on Shein's website, which is 900 times more than a typical French brand.

However, such a production pace emits between 15,000 and 20,000 tons of CO2 every day. On top of that, there are appalling working conditions. On July 31, the association ActionAid and the NGO China Labor Watch published an investigation titled "Shein, the fast-fashion nightmare.”and hurts », revealing that Shein employees work in workshops that do not meet health standards, they don't have a contract—therefore lacking any job security—but work between 10 and 12 hours a day, and are paid a pittance: between 6 and 27 cents per garment.