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The French government has said it will block Shein from operating in the country after prosecutors opened investigations into childlike sex dolls being sold on the fast-fashion retailer’s marketplace.
The government on Wednesday said it was “initiating the suspension of Shein for the time necessary for the platform to demonstrate to the authorities that all of its content is finally compliant with our laws and regulations”.
It added that ministers would provide a first progress report within 48 hours.
The move to ban Shein came on the day the China-founded company opened its first permanent store in Paris and amid a growing backlash against the platform, which politicians have branded an aggressive, low-cost competitor that threatens domestic rivals.
French authorities earlier this week opened an investigation into Shein and three other online marketplaces — Temu, Wish and AliExpress — after finding listings for sex dolls resembling children on each site. The dolls were being sold by third-party sellers rather than the retailers themselves.
After the government’s announcement on Wednesday, Shein said it had temporarily suspended all marketplace sales in France while it conducted a comprehensive review “to ensure full adherence to French law and the highest standards of consumer protection”.
“We are committed to working with the French authorities to address any concerns swiftly as we have always done,” the company said in a statement on Wednesday.
The scandal over the sex dolls has overshadowed Wednesday’s opening of Shein’s first permanent shop in Paris, located in the BHV department store. The opening day attracted protesters bearing signs that read “Protect children. Not Shein” and “Shame on Shein”.
Before the scandal erupted, Shein was planning to open concessions in several Galeries Lafayette stores outside Paris. It is unclear whether those plans will change.
The furore around the sex dolls adds to a lengthy list of controversies involving Shein. The fast-fashion retailer, which sells a constantly changing range of clothes, has been accused of copying the work of independent designers and major brands.
Environmental campaigners have criticised the toll that Shein’s business model takes on the environment, and the company itself confirmed last year that it found examples of child labour in its supply chain.
Meanwhile, Shein’s attempts to list on the public markets have run into difficulties in New York and London. The company filed for a Hong Kong initial public offering in July, the Financial Times previously reported.
The decision to open in France has also been met by opposition from France’s fashion industry, with several brands pulling their labels from the department stores that plan to lease space to Shein.
Industry leaders and politicians have voiced concerns that Shein’s model threatens French businesses and jobs. Shein’s model “is based on a rule-circumvention model that has been condemned on multiple occasions by the authorities”, retail alliance Alliance du Commerce said in a statement.
MP Emmanuel Grégoire criticised Shein’s model of “exploitation, overproduction, and devastating environmental impact”, adding that the platform’s presence in France was “a societal choice and a battle for the future we want to pass on to our children”.