BHV Marais drops Shein partnership, closing Paris store by Christmas
French department store BHV Marais announced on Tuesday it would terminate its partnership with Chinese ultra-fast fashion retailer Shein, marking the closure of the e-commerce giant’s first permanent physical store in Paris by this Christmas. The decision follows the sale of the historic department store to a group of executives led by outgoing CEO Karl-Stéphane Cottendin, who will refocus the retailer on home improvement and household goods while severing ties with Shein.
La Société des Grands Magasins (SGM), which owns BHV Marais, confirmed the move after months of public backlash against Shein’s presence in the store. Critics had targeted the retailer’s environmental impact, labour practices, and online sale of childlike sex dolls, prompting widespread criticism from consumer groups and local officials.
The sale of BHV Marais to Cottendin’s management team represents the second ownership change in less than three years, after French businessman Frédéric Merlin acquired the store in 2023. The new leadership has framed the break with Shein as a strategic correction, prioritising the retailer’s traditional focus on home and DIY products over ultra-fast fashion.
Shein’s physical presence in France will now be limited to temporary pop-up shops, with the closure of its BHV flagship marking the end of its first permanent store in Paris. The decision also affects other BHV locations across France where Shein had opened dedicated sections.
The move underscores growing scrutiny of ultra-fast fashion in Europe, where regulators and activists have intensified pressure on retailers over sustainability and ethical concerns. BHV Marais, located a few hundred metres from Paris City Hall and Notre-Dame cathedral, has become a symbol of this shift, with its new owners seeking to align the store’s identity with local values. The closure of Shein’s store, scheduled for December 2026, will conclude a chapter that began with high-profile controversy and ended with a strategic retreat.
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French store BHV ends partnership with retailer Shein, French media say reut.rs/4aBVTUV
bluesky bot · about 3 hours ago
Shein fecha primeira loja física em Paris A decisão também se aplicará a outras lojas da BHV em diferentes cidades de França, onde a gigante chinesa também abriu lojas
observador · about 3 hours ago
Le BHV change de mains et met fin à son partenariat avec Shein
lexpress · about 3 hours ago
Baumarktkette: Hellweg meldet Insolvenz in Eigenverwaltung an Alle Filialen und der Online-Shop des Dortmunder Unternehmens bleiben geöffnet, die Mitarbeiter erhalten zunächst Insolvenzgeld. Sanierungsexperten übernehmen die Geschäftsleitung.
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thejournal · about 3 hours ago
Shein faces exit from Paris department store after backlash A department store in central Paris announced on Tuesday the end of its cooperation with Chinese ultra-fast fashion giant Shein, which, French media reported, could see the e-commerce platforms first physical store closed by this Christmas. La Societe des Grands Magasins (SGM), owner of the historic BHV Marais, which sits opposite Paris City Hall a few hundred meters from Notre-Dame cathedral, has sold the store to a group of executives, led by Karl-Stephane Cottendin, the groups outgoing CEO,...
south china morning post · about 3 hours ago
Le BHV Marais change de nouveau de propriétaire, moins de trois ans après avoir été racheté par Frédéric Merlin SGM, la société de Frédéric Merlin, cède lexploitation du grand magasin parisien à ses dirigeants. Ces derniers veulent le recentrer sur le bricolage et la maison, en rompant avec la marque dultra-fast-fashion chinoise Shein.
le monde · about 3 hours ago
2900 Mitarbeiter sind betroffen: Dortmunder Baumarktkette Hellweg meldet Insolvenz an Alle Filialen und der Online-Shop des Unternehmens sollen zunächst geöffnet bleiben. Sanierungsexperten übernehmen die Geschäftsleitung.
tagesspiegel · about 3 hours ago
French department store BHV Marais to end Shein partnership after backlash French department store BHV Marais will end its partnership with Shein after its operating company sold the landmark Paris outlet to a group of executives. The move follows months of controversy over the fast-fashion retailers presence in the store, including outcry over its environmental impact, labour practices and its online sale of childlike sex dolls.
france24 · about 4 hours ago