PARIS – The opening of the world’s first Shein store in Paris three weeks ago has caused alarm among public authorities, the textile sector, and consumer associations, all of whom fear the advent of ultra-fast fashion in Europe.
Shein’s operations in Europe are highly controversial. But despite strong ethical and environmental objections, hundreds of customers lined up outside the Bazar de l’Hôtel de Ville (BHV) on 5 November, where the unbeatably cheap Chinese brand launched its first physical store.
The criticism is not universal, and many consumers are eager to spend on discount garments.
Aisseta Keita was one of the first 500 people to enter the Paris store.
“I am totally against the [sex] dolls that Shein sells on its website. But as far as the clothes are concerned, they’re the same to what you find in Zara or H&M,” she said. “If I can buy from these brands, I can also buy from Shein. I am in favour of decent clothes at reasonable prices that are accessible to everyone. Not everyone can afford to buy branded products.”
It’s not a coincidence that Shein’s first store is in Paris. France is its largest market in the EU with 23 million active consumers. The British research institute Oxford Economics estimates that Shein’s activities generated €640 million for the French economy in 2023 and created nearly 3,000 jobs.
This success is recognised by the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) in Brussels. “There is a strong demand for cheap, trendy clothing. Shein and other fast fashion companies offer this, which in itself is not reprehensible,” said Nora Shoki, a lawyer at BEUC.
The “but” lies in Shein’s scale, said Shoki. “The brand is present on all social networks and therefore on all phones. This makes it almost impossible for consumers to escape it.”
Many have made the short step from their phone to the in-person shop.
“More than 50,000 people came to discover Shein at BHV,” Frédéric Merlin, owner of Société des Grands Magasins (SGM), which owns BHV, wrote on Instagram on 10 November, five days after the launch.
One passer-by who entered the store “out of curiosity” compared Shein’s quality to that of brands La Redoute, 3 Suisses, and Monoprix. She says that in her professional experience, “The Japanese only make luxury items, as do the Koreans. With the Chinese, we encountered problems with finishes and quality.”
The death of ‘Made in EU’?
Shein has been accused of unfair competition and destroying the French and European textile sector.
On 19 November, 12 professional federations and around a hundred brands decided to take unprecedented action and sue Shein for unfair competition. With an average product on Shein’s French website costing €7.90 and a catalogue that grows by more than 7,000 new items per day, traditional clothing retailers feel overwhelmed.
The only exception to this is French fashion retailer Pimkie, which is in financial difficulty and has decided to go for broke by partnering with the Asian brand. “Our goal is to achieve €100 million in sales with Shein by 2028, representing a third of our business,” explained Pimkie CEO Salih Halassi.
The French Trade and Distribution Federation says that the merger “exacerbates an unbearable distortion of competition, which has long been denounced by professionals in the sector” and jeopardises the French and European textile industry.
Still, Quentin Ruffat, Shein spokesperson in France, noted that Shein arrived in France in 2018. He argues the company “can’t be blamed for all the ills of the French fast fashion industry.”
A protest against Shein at the Paris store, 5 November 2025. (Photo by Frederic VIELCANET/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
The prices in the Paris shop are closer to fast fashion than “ultra-fast fashion.” A denim jumpsuit for €69, a jumper for €22, or a jacket for €45. This discrepancy between the website and the store has not gone unnoticed by Shein’s customers.
Manuel Morales, a lecturer and researcher at Clermont School of Business, said it is inevitable.
“Shein must not only factor in the cost of products manufactured in China, but also everything associated with running a shop – namely, storage costs, rent, and electricity,” Morales said.
These fixed costs have an unavoidable influence on the prices of products sold in-store. Morales compares Shein to Zara, saying that “40% to 60% of the production of the Spanish group Inditex – which owns Zara, among other brands – takes place outside the EU, compared to 100% of Shein’s production.”
Ruffat, meanwhile, noted that Shein has 10,000 suppliers in China, many of which also supply other French ready-to-wear brands.
“Kiabi, Decathlon, and Zara have the same suppliers as us,” he said.
Fast fashion or not, “most textile fibres come from Southeast Asia, not just China,” Morales said.
Shein, a business model in need of compliance
European textile producers accuse Shein of bypassing environmental, labour, and consumer-safety rules – and Brussels is increasingly demanding answers.
The European Commission has twice requested information from the company under the Digital Services Act (in June 2024 and February 2025), while consumer groups are multiplying complaints. In June, BEUC filed a complaint against Shein with the European Commission and national consumer protection authorities for misleading practices.
Several member states have also taken action. This summer, Italy and France fined the company €1 million and €40 million, respectively. On 1 September, the French data-protection authority issued a further €150 million fine against Shein’s European entity in Dublin for breaching cookie-tracking rules.
In response, the company argues that it is investing to meet EU standards. A spokesperson told the media that Shein spent “over €15 million on product safety in 2025” to ensure compliance.
“Shein specialises in a niche sector, the sale of low-cost clothing online, which was previously unregulated. This has led to significant profits for the company, particularly in the last two years,” Morales said.
The French National Assembly has also adopted a €2 tax on small parcels imported from outside the EU, and several member states are pushing to end the customs exemption for goods worth under €150.
To support Europe’s textile sector, the Commission plans a €60 million “Textiles of the Future” partnership under Horizon Europe 2025–27.
According to Morales, Shein’s trajectory now hinges on regulation.
“Shein will only be pushed to become a player like any other if legislation sets the framework,” he said.
The future of European fashion is still up for grabs.
(ow, cs, cm)
