We have always seen Shein as an online giant, a brand that seemed not to need shop windows to reach millions of people. However, it has just taken a step that changes its history: it will open its first permanent physical store in Europe, and not anywhere, but in Paris, the city that marks the pulse of fashion, luxury and big brands. According to Le Monde, he will do it at the BHV Marais next month and then in other locations.
What has been announced. The company has confirmed that the opening in BHV Marais will not be an isolated case. The plan contemplates extending the physical model to other French cities with the concession formula in department stores. It is a movement that changes scale: it goes from temporary experiences to stable retail contracts, with permanent inventory and continuous presence. In the words of the company, it is an essay in France that probably sets the course of its strategy in Europe.
From the ephemeral to the permanent. Until now, the usual formula of Shein had been the pop-up stores, premises that only work for a few days or weeks and that serve to generate expectation, try markets or reinforce the presence of brand without major fixed costs. These experiences have appeared in several large cities, always temporarily. What is announced in France is different: it implies stable contracts, permanent inventory and a long -term commitment to physical retail.
In Spain we have already seen how this strategy works. In June 2022, Shein opened in Madrid a temporary store on Sandoval Street that barely lasted a few days, and in April 2024 he repeated with a space of 900 square meters in the ABC Serrano shopping center, turned into its largest pop-up in the country. He has also done similar evidence in Paris, London, Lisbon or New York. All these openings generated queues and headlines, but none remained in time: they were ephemeral showcase experiences, not permanent stores.
Criticism in Paris. The announcement did not take time to turn on the reaction of the French sector. Yann Rivoallan, president of the French Federation of Prêt-à-Porter Feminin, expressed it in France Inter with forcefulness: “They are seizing everything.” He recalled that the BHV Marais is in front of the Paris City Council and added: “They are occupying all the space, both in the media and on the Internet, and now they also want to occupy physical space in the most emblematic places.” For him, Shein’s landing symbolizes the pressure suffered by local trade.
SGM defense. Not everyone sees movement as a threat. Frédéric Merlin, at the head of Société des Grands Magasins, said the challenge is to take advantage of Shein’s digital force to give oxygen to shopping centers. “Shein has 25 million French clients,” he recalled, adding: “We are not going to stop the fast fashion. The challenge is that it also serves traditional retailers. With physical stores they will have the same weapons as their detractors. ”
Société des Grands Magasins enthusiasm is not shared throughout the group. The Lafayette galleries matrix, which no longer controls BHV but does manage its emblematic Paris warehouse, expressed its disagreement with the treatment achieved with Shein. The company made it clear in an official statement that will block any implementation attempt in the centers that are still under its direct management. The fracture reflects that Shein’s entrance not only faces the sector, but also the commercial partners themselves.
Regulation and sanctions. Shein’s landing coincides with a particularly tense political climate. In France, a law that would apply a “bonus-malus” system to penalize disposable fashion and reward sustainable production is discussed. In July, a French court already imposed on the company a fine of 40 million euros for deceptive practices on discounts. The pressure also comes from Brussels: in May, the European Commission notified Shein practices contrary to consumption regulations.
Shein’s vision. The company wanted to give its own version of the movement. Donald Tang, Shein’s executive president, said in Le Figaro that the election of France seeks to “pay tribute to the country already Paris, the world capital of fashion and cradle of the great modern warehouse.” He denied that Shein is the cause of traditional trade setback: “If sales stores have dropped, it is not for Shein. Difficulties began long before our arrival.” In addition, he promised the creation of 200 new jobs associated with the project.
Spain: the official and the unofficial. The contrast with France is evident. In Valencia, the reopening of the mn4 shopping center included a store called UNIQS that used the Shein brand in signs and posters. The company’s reaction was blunt. To El Español declared: “We have been informed about unauthorized stores in Spain and other places that claim to be stores, outlets or sellers of Shein. The brand does not operate any permanent physical store in Spain or anywhere in Europe.” A warning to distinguish the official one from what it is not.
What we still don’t know. Shein’s plan in France opens many questions for the rest of Europe. For now, the company insists that it does not have permanent stores in Spain or in any other European country, but if the French essay thrives, the unknown is whether it will choose to expand the model to our market. In that scenario, the impact could be noted in stores that today use their name without authorization. At the moment, there is no confirmation and the only sure thing is that everything is still in the test phase.
With the decision to open in Paris, Shein breaks the border that for years had separated his online business from physical trade. The movement has generated enthusiasm, rejection and doubts in equal parts, and opens a debate about the future of retail in Europe. In the absence of confirmations about other countries, the French pilot will be the reference to measure how far this change in strategy can go. What is clear is that, from now on, Shein is no longer just a digital phenomenon.
Images | WorldOfSoftware with Gemini 2.5 | SHEIN_SPAIN capture (Instagram) | QUETALVALENCIA CAPTURE (TIKTOK)
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