Shein has announced that it will be opening a brick-and-mortar store in France, in a move that has sparked criticism from French retailers.
The permanent store will come in November under an agreement with the department store owner Société des Grands Magasins (SGM).
SGM president Frédéric Merlin said the project will help attract younger customers and breathe more life into French cities, including Paris.
“With Shein, the world's largest online clothing platform, we are opening a new chapter, starting with BHV and soon our affiliated Galeries Lafayette stores in the regions," Merlin said.
“It's also a major innovation: thanks to its in-depth knowledge of online sales, Shein knows what appeals locally and can therefore tailor the offer in a unique way to each area."
Shein executive chairman, Donald Tang, also said Paris was the natural place to open their first in-person store before expanding to other locations.
"In choosing France as the location for our physical retail experiment, we recognise its position as a major fashion capital and embrace its spirit of creativity and excellence," Tang said.
"It is natural that this journey should begin in Paris, at BHV, the cradle of modern commerce, before extending to five other cities across the country."
The fast fashion retailer was founded in 2012 and is known for its extremely low prices, and has been accused of environmental pollution.
Shein has also been accused by French and European federations of creating unfair competition for companies across he continent for failing to comply with European standards on the environment, social rights and consumer safety.
The company also faces pressure from other retailers, politicians and regulators in France, where lawmakers have backed a draft law that would ban Shien from advertising if implemented.
"In front of the Paris City Hall, they are creating the new Shein megastore, which – after destroying dozens of French brands – aims to flood our market even more massively with disposable products," Yann Rivoallan, head of fashion retail association Fédération Francaise du Pret-a-Porter, said in a statement.
Retailers in France have already struggled to compete with Zara and H&M when Shein launched.
Several French fast-fashion retailers, like Jennyfer and NafNaf, went into insolvency proceedings earlier this year.
