Shein faces criticism for Paris store opening and selling childlike sex dolls

China’s fast-fashion giant Shein is facing a fresh wave of controversy as it opens its first permanent store in Paris yesterday inside one of the city’s most iconic department stores.

The launch of Shein in the heart of France’s fashion capital has triggered a backlash from environmental groups, Paris City Hall, and France’s ready-to-wear industry.

The retailer is also under fire after French authorities last week found sex dolls with childlike features listed on the retailer’s website.

The case has been referred to prosecutors, and the government has warned that the global e-commerce platform could be barred from the French market if such content reappears.

In response, Shein said it has banned all sex-doll products, and temporarily removed its adult products category for review. The company has also launched an investigation to determine how the listings bypassed its screening measures.

Several dozen protesters camped outside the BHV department store yesterday, while some shoppers queued ahead of the opening. An online petition opposing the Paris opening has surpassed 120,000 signatures, and child-protection and environmental groups have condemned Shein.

“It’s a black day for our industry,” Thibaut Ledunois, director of entrepreneurship and innovation at the French federation of women’s ready-to-wear, told The Associated Press.

The Société des Grands Magasins (SGM), which owns the BHV Marais department store in downtown Paris, called the sale of the sex dolls unacceptable, but praised Shein for its swift response to defuse the controversy.

The BHV has been going through financial struggles in recent years and the SGM believes 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.”

Founded in China in 2012 and now based in Singapore, Shein has risen rapidly to become a global fast-fashion giant.

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, or AliExpress. SAMUEL PETREQUIN, Paris, MDT/AP