PARIS (AP) 鈥� France鈥檚 government said Wednesday it is moving toward suspending access to the Shein online marketplace until it proves its content conforms to French law, after authorities found illegal weapons and for sale on the fast-fashion giant鈥檚 website.
The Finance Ministry said the government made the decision after officials found 鈥渓arge quantities鈥� of illegal 鈥淐lass A鈥� weapons on Shein’s popular e-commerce platform Wednesday, following the discovery last week of illegal sex dolls with childlike characteristics. The ministry did not detail which weapons were found, but the Class A includes firearms, knives and machetes as well as war material.
The ministry said if the prohibited items remain, authorities may suspend the site in France.
The decision came on the same day that Shein in Paris inside one of the city鈥檚 most iconic department stores. The opening drew crowds of shoppers to the BHV Marais, but also a small group of protesters who briefly disrupted the opening by waving anti-Shein signs 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 48 hours.
Shein, founded in China in 2012 and now based in Singapore, pledged to work with French authorities to 鈥渁ddress any concerns swiftly as we have always done and we are seeking dialogue with the authorities and government bodies on this issue.”
French authorities can order online platforms to remove clearly illegal content, such as child sexual abuse materials, within 24 hours. If they fail to comply, authorities can require internet service providers and search engines to block access and delist the site.
Ordering from Shein’s French website was still possible Wednesday following the government鈥檚 announcement.
Fr茅d茅ric Merlin, president of Soci茅t茅 des Grands Magasins (SGM,) which owns the BHV department store, praised the government’s move. 鈥淚 am satisfied with this decision and I hope that, in the end, we will be able to stop selling illicit products on these marketplaces,鈥� Merlin said.
Still, the backlash over the sex doll listings could be a 鈥渕assive red flag鈥� to investors and become a roadblock to the company鈥檚 ambitions of going public, according to Neil Saunders, managing director of research firm GlobalData.
The episode feeds into the view that Chinese-founded marketplaces “are the Wild West of e-commerce, where there is very little compliance, and they don鈥檛 really adhere to established rules, that they don鈥檛 have full control over the platforms,鈥� Saunders said. 鈥淎nd that is a problem because if you鈥檙e looking to expand, you have to abide by national laws.鈥�
Saunders noted there鈥檚 a big difference in having counterfeit merchandise and questionable merchandise on a site. Child sexual abuse material 鈥渃rosses an important moral boundary,鈥� he said.
Store opening draws shoppers and demonstrators
SGM has called the sale of the sex dolls unacceptable, but praised Shein for its swift response to defuse the controversy.
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鈥檚 fashion capital had faced criticism from environmental groups, Paris City Hall and France鈥檚 ready-to-wear industry.
The retail giant has long drawn criticism over its poor green credentials and . An online petition opposing the Paris opening surpassed 120,000 signatures
Ticia Ones, a regular Shein online customer living in Paris, said the main reason she visited the store on Wednesday was the opportunity to see items in person before buying.
鈥淲e can see what we order, touch the items, it’s a good thing,鈥� she said, adding that the brand’s low prices were a strong draw despite the controversy. 鈥淚’m not going to comment on the quality, but price is definitely appealing.鈥�
The BHV store has been going through financial struggles in recent years and its owners believe the arrival of Shein will help revive business 鈥� even as some brands have chosen to leave the store in protest.
鈥淲e are proud to have a partner who has spoken out firmly,” said Karl-St茅phane Cottendin, the chief operating officer of SGM. “We are very happy to be opening the boutique.鈥�
Environmental and ethical concerns
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鈥檚 far-west Xinjiang province, where rights groups say serious 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 鈥渢remendous job鈥� to improve its practices.
鈥淭oday, it鈥檚 a brand that produces under much more legitimate conditions,鈥� he said. “We ensured that the entire production chain, from manufacturing to delivery, complies strictly with French and European regulations and standards.鈥�
Fast fashion, characterized by a constant turnover of collections and very low prices, has flooded European markets with low-quality items, . The United Nations has warned that the textile industry alone is responsible and contributes to water depletion.
France is now moving to curb the growing influence of companies based in 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.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a black day for our industry,鈥� said Thibaut Ledunois, director of entrepreneurship and innovation at the French federation of women鈥檚 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.鈥�
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