PARIS (AP) — France’s government said Wednesday it has started a procedure to suspend access to Shein’s online marketplace until the company proves that its content conforms with French law, after authorities found firearms and sex dolls with childlike features listed for sale on the fast-fashion giant's website.
The Finance Ministry said the government made the decision after officials found “large quantities” of illegal weapons, including firearms, on Shein's popular e-commerce platform Wednesday. The ministry said if prohibited items remain, authorities may suspend the site in France.
The decision came on the same day Shein opened its first permanent store in Paris inside one of the city’s most iconic department stores.
The opening drew crowds of shoppers as well as protesters at the BHV Marais, including a small group of demonstrators waving anti-Shein signs who briefly disrupted the opening day before they were escorted out by security.
The ministry did not say whether its decision would impact the physical store. It added that a first progress report would be provided within the next 48 hours.
In response, Shein pledged to work with French authorities to “address any concerns swiftly as we have always done and we are seeking dialogue with the authorities and government bodies on this issue."
French authorities have legal power to order online platforms to remove clearly illegal content such as child pornography within 24 hours. If they fail to comply, authorities can require internet service providers and search engines to block access and delist the site.
Access to, and orders from the French version of Shein's website was still possible Wednesday following the government’s announcement.
Frédéric Merlin, president of Société des Grands Magasins (SGM,) which owns the BHV department store, praised the government's move. “I am satisfied with this decision and I hope that, in the end, we will be able to stop selling illicit products on these marketplaces,” Merlin said.
Still, the backlash over the sex doll listings could be a “massive red flag” to investors and become a roadblock to the company’s ambitions of going public, according to Neil Saunders, managing director of research firm GlobalData.
“It goes back to this view that Shein and a lot of these Chinese marketplaces are the Wild West of e-commerce, where there is very little compliance, and they don’t really adhere to established rules, that they don’t have full control over the platforms,” Saunders said. “And that is a problem because if you’re looking to expand, you have to abide by national laws.”
Saunders noted there’s a big difference in having counterfeit merchandise and questionable merchandise on a site. Child pornography “crosses an important moral boundary,” he said.
Store opening draws shoppers and demonstrators
Shein said earlier that it has banned all sex-doll products, and temporarily removed its adult products category for review. The company had also announced that it would temporarily suspend listings from independent third-party vendors in its marketplace, and launched an investigation to determine how the dolls listings bypassed its screening measures.
Even before the backlash over the sex doll listings, the decision by Shein to launch its first physical store in the heart of France’s fashion capital had faced criticism from environmental groups, Paris City Hall, and France’s ready-to-wear industry.
The retail giant has long drawn criticism over its poor green credentials and labor practices.
An online petition opposing the Paris opening has surpassed 120,000 signatures, and several dozen protesters camped outside the BHV department store on Wednesday morning. But large crowds of shoppers turned up undeterred.
Ticia Ones, a regular Shein online customer living in Paris, said the main reason she visited the store was the opportunity to see items in person before buying.
“We can see what we order, touch the items, it's a good thing,” she said, adding that the brand's low prices were a strong draw despite the controversy. “I'm not going to comment on the quality, but price is definitely appealing.”
SGM has called the sale of the sex dolls unacceptable, but earlier praised Shein for its swift response to defuse the controversy.
The BHV store has been going through financial struggles in recent years and its owners believe the arrival of Shein will help revive business — even as some brands have chosen to leave the store in protest.
“We are proud to have a partner who has spoken out firmly," said Karl-Stéphane Cottendin, the chief operating officer of SGM. "We are very happy to be opening the boutique.”
Environmental and ethical concerns
Founded in China in 2012 and now based in Singapore, Shein has risen rapidly to become a global fast-fashion giant. Selling mostly Chinese-made clothes and products at bargain prices, the retailer has drawn criticism over allegations that its supply chains may be tainted by forced labor, including from China’s far-west Xinjiang province, where rights groups say serious human rights abuses were committed by Beijing against members of the ethnic Uyghur group and other Muslim minorities.
Cottendin dismissed those concerns and praised Shein for doing a “tremendous job” to improve its practices.
“Today, it’s a brand that produces under much more legitimate conditions,” he said. "We ensured that the entire production chain, from manufacturing to delivery, complies strictly with French and European regulations and standards.”
Fast fashion, characterized by a constant turnover of collections and very low prices, has flooded European markets with low-quality items, driving environmental, social, and economic costs. The United Nations has warned that the textile industry alone is responsible for nearly 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to water depletion.
France is now moving to curb the growing influence of companies based in Southeast Asian countries such as Shein, Temu and AliExpress. A draft law targets fast fashion with measures such as consumer awareness campaigns, advertising bans, taxes on small imported parcels and stricter waste management rules.
“It’s a black day for our industry,” said Thibaut Ledunois, director of entrepreneurship and innovation at the French federation of women’s ready-to-wear. He added that Shein's Paris opening was an attempt to justify "all the bad, and sad and horrible business that they develop all around the world.”