It's official: this Wednesday, November 5th at 1 PM, Shein will open its very first permanent physical store on the 6th floor of BHV Marais. The announcement made by Frédéric Merlin, president of the Société des Grands Magasins (SGM), which has owned BHV since 2023, instantly set social media ablaze. « World premiere », he celebrated on Instagram, highlighting the uniqueness of this opening for a brand that has been 100% digital until now.
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On over 1000 m², the platform founded in China in 2012 (now based in Singapore) will offer its thousands of references at rock-bottom prices: dresses at €7, tops at €3, accessories at €1. This strategy has brought them success... and a bad reputation. Accused of hidden labor, plagiarism, catastrophic ecological impact, and textile overproduction, Shein has become the symbol of limitless fast fashion.
Saviez-vous que la Fast Fashion contribue grandement au gaspillage ?
— ADEME Île-de-France (@ademe_IDF) November 3, 2023
Cette tendance se caractérise notamment par une production effrénée de vêtements jetables à bas coût.
Adoptons une consommation responsable en achetant mieux et consommant moins.
RDV sur https://t.co/n475H9qmSI pic.twitter.com/sDaTKBnzX8
A « high-tension event »
In France, both the government and the Paris city hall have expressed their outrage, along with the BHV union and several partner brands. A petition against this installation has already gathered over 110,000 signatures. But nothing seems to change: the « world premiere » of Shein at BHV is definitely happening.
This opening isn't just a one-off event: SGM is already planning five more permanent Shein locations in its regional Galeries Lafayette in Dijon, Reims, Grenoble, Angers, and Limoges. This bold physical expansion marks a turning point for the Chinese brand: after conquering the digital world, Shein is taking on department stores!
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An anchoring strategy, despite the fines
However, the brand arrives in France weighed down by a heavy burden. This year, it faced 191 million euros in fines for non-compliance with cookie legislation, false promotions, and lack of transparency regarding the presence of plastic microfibers. It is also under scrutiny from a French legislative proposal aimed at curbing the rise of ultra-fast fashion.
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By setting up shop in such an iconic place as BHV, Shein is playing the legitimacy card, though it risks tainting the image of a beloved Parisian department store. While the brand appeals to a generation hooked on low prices and TikTok “hauls,” its arrival in the historical heart of the Marais brings to light a different reality: that of a business model increasingly questioned, both socially and ecologically.
The upcoming arrival of Shein at BHV is creating quite a stir: according to an Ipsos-BVA study published on October 16, 52% of French people are firmly opposed to it, while only 22% are in favor. And the distrust doesn’t stop there: more than one in two French people rejects the brand's installation in other major department stores in France.
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