Fast-fashion giant Shein is set to open its first permanent brick-and-mortar store at the BHV department store in central Paris next Wednesday, the company's owners confirmed on Friday.
The 1,000-square-metre space, located on the sixth floor of the iconic Bazar de l'Hôtel de Ville, will mark the brand's first permanent shop anywhere in the world.
Founded in China in 2012 and now based in Singapore, Shein has until now operated exclusively online.
"BHV SHEIN, opening November 5 at 1 p.m.," posted Frédéric Merlin, head of the Société des Grands Magasins (SGM), which owns the BHV, calling it a "world first."
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The move comes despite widespread backlash. The French government, Paris City Hall, BHV staff unions, and over 110,000 signatories to an online petition have all condemned the partnership. Critics accuse Shein of promoting unsustainable "ultra-fast fashion" and exploiting workers in its supply chain.
Shein and SGM also plan to open five more stores in France later in November, inside Galeries Lafayette branches in Dijon, Reims, Grenoble, Angers and Limoges.
The brand has faced mounting scrutiny in France, where it was fined €191 million this year for misleading advertising, cookie violations and failing to declare the use of plastic microfibres in its products.
