Wednesday, November 5, at 1pm. The opening of the Shein boutique at BHV Marais drew a large crowd. For several hours, the first customers waited in a long queue at the foot of the Parisian department store to enter the Chinese brand’s first permanent bricks-and-mortar store. On the other side of the street, dozens of demonstrators, local elected officials and union representatives voiced their disapproval at the much-maligned brand setting up shop.

The protest was largely ignored by the many enthusiastic customers celebrating the event, which began on the sixth floor, in the area dedicated to Shein, with an introductory speech followed by a countdown marking the official opening of the doors. Once the symbolic ribbon had been cut, Frédéric Merlin, managing director of BHV and Société des Grands Magasins (SGM), led the first customers through the store, presenting the different areas before concluding the tour at the tills. Facing numerous journalists from around the world, he said he was “very pleasantly surprised to see the enthusiasm for this opening, which is attracting new customers as well as regular BHV customers.”

The event quickly took on the feel of mass consumption, somewhere between curiosity and a shopping frenzy.

The new 1,000-square-metre space, mainly dedicated to womenswear, occupies a large open area segmented into several zones. Shein does not, however, occupy the entire level: a small part of the sixth floor is still devoted to Christmas décor. But there was certainly no party atmosphere in that area on Wednesday.

There is no major retail innovation in the layout. But the range is clearly compartmentalised: casualwear, sportswear, formalwear and accessories. Around 80% of the items are aimed at a female clientele across different profiles, the remainder forming a more limited menswear offer: zip-up jumpers, cargo trousers and other casual basics.

Clothes are presented on simple shelves fixed along the walls, while in the centre more classic rails display the vast majority of pieces on hangers. The overall look is restrained and clearly easy to reconfigure, but the staging is elevated by carefully chosen furnishings: marble, stone or glass tables add a chic touch, complemented by tempered-steel details.

The spaces are structured by zone, identified by Shein sub-brands such as Aralina, Motf, Dazy and Anewsta, offering a clear read of the range and a more premium visual impression. Each has a staging area with mannequins and a product presentation space. A few comfortable armchairs dotted around allow visitors to take a break, a sign that the brand also wanted to enhance the visitor experience.

On price, the promise of accessibility is clear: from a sports bra at €7.49 to a Dazy down jacket at €127.49, the store’s most expensive item. Yet although around 6,000 items have been selected, there is no sign of the €2 or €3 pieces that also helped drive the brand’s online success. Each in-store product carries a QR code on its label linking to the product page on the brand’s website, where prices are sometimes much lower online.

Another of Shein’s digital promises that does not necessarily carry over into the physical world is its offer for all body types. Sizes range from XS to XL, a more limited choice than online.

It is worth noting that the store features few screens, contrary to what you might expect from an e-commerce player. Here, Shein is asserting a physical presence and the classic conventions of apparel retail.

Finally, the opening did not escape controversy: beyond the gatherings in front of the building and the significant police presence around the event, protesters entered the Shein area to brandish placards and shout slogans against the Chinese retailer.

Despite this, inside the crowds were out in force. Bags filled, rails emptied. Shein has made a successful entry into the physical world, with a concept calibrated to appeal to a broad audience.

But what about the other floors of the department store? Merlin said he expected very low footfall on Wednesday. To try to generate traffic, the department store promised a voucher equivalent to the amount of Shein purchases made on Wednesday. Given the lacklustre traffic on the other seven levels, the pulling power of Shein as a locomotive for the whole of BHV remains to be demonstrated.

With Olivier Guyot