Shein: enters France with permanent stores – meets resistance

New strategy: permanent stores after pop-ups

Shein has experimented with seasonal pop-up stores around the world – most recently in London – but this is the first time it has opened permanent stores. The first store will open in early November on the sixth floor of the BHV department store in Paris, and will later be launched in Dijon, Grenoble, Reims, Limoges and Angers in the Galeries Lafayette department stores operated by SGM.

According to Frédéric Merlin, president of SGM, Shein will mainly attract young, price-sensitive customers who are looking for affordable fashion products, especially in smaller cities. Donald Tang, executive chairman of Shein, emphasized that the brand is also very popular in the countryside.

Protest in the French market

However, Galeries Lafayette has indicated that it opposes the opening of Shein stores, as it violates the franchise agreement, and is trying to block the move through legal means.

Political and professional resistance is not a new phenomenon: French representatives have prepared a bill that would ban fast fashion advertising, effectively making Shein’s ads impossible. Yann Rivoallan, head of the Fédération Francaise du Pret-a-Porter, says Shein is causing serious damage to the domestic fashion market with its “disposable products.”

The French fast fashion sector is already under pressure: in addition to Zara and H&M, several domestic brands, including Jennyfer and NafNaf, were subject to insolvency proceedings in 2025.

A model built on the China-Europe axis

The key to Shein’s business model is direct Chinese delivery. Low prices are made possible by taking advantage of duty-free rules and keeping inventories to a minimum. This structure, while quickly responding to fashion trends, is increasingly under criticism for sustainability, working conditions and market distortions.