The French government has initiated the suspension of Shein’s online store, while its first physical store has opened in Paris

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced that a “suspension” procedure will be launched in France against the digital commerce platform Shein, requiring the company to demonstrate compliance with the country’s laws.

“The first steps must be taken by ministers in the next 48 hours,”

– the prime minister’s office said, without elaborating on the technical details of the closure.

Shein has also announced that it will suspend its “marketplace” in France after the sale of sex dolls resembling little girls sparked a backlash.

The online store said that the decision was made on the platform “due to concerns about certain content uploaded by independent third parties” and that the suspension procedure was “independently” initiated by the Prime Minister’s Office The decision to launch the Shein online marketplace came just hours after Shein opened its first physical store in the BHV luxury department store in the center of the French capital on Wednesday afternoon. Frédéric Merlin, CEO of Société des grands magasins (SGM), which has owned BHV since 2023, called the decision to suspend Shein’s online marketplace “satisfactory” on Wednesday. However, he defended the fact that BHV is hosting the first physical store because, according to him, “Shein represents 25 million customers in France”.

The French Directorate General for Anti-Fraud (DGCCRF) announced on Saturday that it had reported the sale of “child-looking sex dolls” to the judiciary after noticing them on the Shein website.

The online store claimed on Sunday that the products were “immediately removed” from the platform.

Despite fierce protests in France, Shein, which sells thousands of products at low prices, will open five more stores in France at the end of November in Galeries Lafayette department stores.