After having conquered millions of consumers all over the world with its online portal where they can find clothes and accessories at rock-bottom prices, Shein, the Chinese fast fashion giant, is now focusing on physical stores in France. However, the first opening, scheduled for the BHV Marais in Paris, has triggered a very strong reaction and more than 100 thousand citizens have already signed the petition launched by the collective Une Autre Mode Est Possible (UAMEP) against the arrival of the brand in department stores.
Shein’s expansion into France
The debut in physical stores is expected in November at BHV Marais, in the heart of the 4th arrondissement of Paris. Following this, Shein will open another five stores in the Galeries Lafayette in Dijon, Reims, Grenoble, Angers and Limoges. A move announced on October 1st and the result of an agreement with the Société des Grands Magasins (SGM), the company that manages the stores involved.
However, the arrival of the Chinese giant did not go unnoticed. Associations, brands and institutions have promptly denounced the risk of amplifying an already devastating model for the environment and the local production fabric.
Several BHV partner brands have threatened to withdraw their products, while Galeries Lafayette has expressed its profound disagreement, underlining that Shein’s practices contradict the values of quality and sustainability that the group promotes.
The Caisse des Dépôts reiterated that investments must respect criteria of responsibility and sustainability. Yann Rivoallan, president of the French Federation of Women’s Ready-to-Wear, also denounces that Shein has contributed to the loss of 15,000 jobs in France in the last three years, worsening the crisis of an already fragile sector.
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From all this discontent a petition was also born, promoted by the UAMEP collective, which underlines how Shein represents a global symbol of ultra fast fashion, in clear contradiction with the climate, social and economic commitments of the city of Paris.
What is being contested against Shein?
The main points of the complaint against Shein concern now very well-known and objectively controversial aspects of fast fashion:
The arrival of the brand also takes place while France and the European Union are strengthening the laws against ultra fast fashion, it is therefore truly unacceptable to also open a physical store that promotes it.
What the petition asks for
The petition calls for the cancellation of Shein’s opening at the BHV and Galeries Lafayette; the recognition by BHV and SGM that this choice is contrary to the climate and social commitments of the city of Paris, immediate controls by the DGCCRF on Shein’s commercial practices, with sanctions in case of confirmed violations, and finally greater support for those who promote circular fashion and create local jobs, respecting human rights and protecting the environment.
Shein’s reply
The brand says it wants to “revitalise French city centres”, promising the creation of 200 jobs and calling itself a diversification opportunity for department stores. SGM, the company that manages the BHV and some Galeries Lafayette, speaks of a “misunderstanding” and defends its freedom to offer consumers an offer that ranges from luxury to fast fashion.
Despite this, the brand remains one of the symbols par excellence of the disposable model, which pollutes, exploits and fuels bulimic consumerism. Transferring this system from e-commerce to department store shelves means normalizing it in everyday life, when instead sustainable alternatives should be encouraged.
