Fashion
Shein sets up shop at Paris’ BHV: What’s on offer and what’s the concept?
Published
November 5, 2025
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
This article is an automatic translation.
Click here to read the original article.
Copyright © 2025 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.
The programme is jointly implemented by UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the World Customs Organization and UK Customs.
The UK has committed around $1.25 million in funding for the ‘Accelerate Trade Facilitation’ programme for the 2026-2029 period.
The programme is jointly implemented by UNCTAD, the World Customs Organization and UK Customs.
The latest phase will expand the programme’s capacity-building activities and introduce the Reform Tracker tool to up to three additional countries.
For more than a decade, the programme has supported over 30 economies to speed up the movement of goods and strengthen cooperation between the public and private sectors.
“We will build on the strong and sustained impact achieved by partner countries over the last 11 years of the programme, strengthening national trade facilitation committees and driving practical, lasting reforms that make trade simpler, faster and more inclusive while supporting economic growth,” said Megan Shaw, deputy director of international customs and border engagement at UK Customs in an UNCTAD release.
The programme will continue to place national trade facilitation committees (NTFCs) at the core of its work. NTFCs serve as coordination platforms where government agencies and businesses identify bottlenecks, agree on priorities and advance trade facilitation reforms.
UNCTAD has supported them through specialised training, including via its trade facilitation e-learning platform, and practical tools such as the Reform Tracker. The tool helps countries monitor progress on trade facilitation reforms and keep society-wide collaborators aligned.
“These reforms contribute to a trading environment that is faster, cheaper, more transparent and more predictable—conditions that help businesses compete and grow,” said Angel Gonzalez Sanz, officer-in-charge of UNCTAD’s division on technology and logistics.
The 2026-2029 phase will expand the programme’s capacity-building activities and introduce the Reform Tracker to up to three additional countries.
These efforts will help deepen digitalisation and improve coordination between border agencies—measures crucial to reducing costs and processing times for traders.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
The gross profit reached SEK 25,138 million (~$2.39 billion), with the gross margin improving to 50.7 per cent from 49.1 per cent a year earlier, supported by lower markdown costs and more efficient sourcing.
H&M has reported net sales of SEK 49,607 million (~$4.72 billion) in Q1 FY26, with sales down 1 per cent in local currencies.
Improved cost control lifted gross margin to 50.7 per cent and operating profit rose 26 per cent.
The net profit increased to SEK 704 million (~$75.05 million), while inventory fell 16 per cent.
Currency effects weighed on revenue despite stronger margins and improving sales.
The operating profit rose by 26 per cent to SEK 1,512 million, lifting the operating margin to 3 per cent from 2.2 per cent. Selling and administrative expenses declined by 1 per cent in local currencies and by 9 per cent in SEK terms, reflecting continued cost discipline, H&M said in a press release.
The net profit after tax (PAT) increased to SEK 704 million (~$75.05 million), with earnings per share (EPS) improving to SEK 0.45 from SEK 0.37. Inventory management also showed progress, with stock-in-trade falling 16 per cent to SEK 34,608 million, indicating improved inventory productivity.
However, sales in SEK terms were impacted by a currency translation effect of just over 9 percentage points due to the strengthened Swedish krona. The quarter began with weaker demand following strong Black Friday trading, though sales trends improved towards the end, supported by spring collections.
“Good cost control and improved gross margin contributed to strengthened profitability in a quarter marked by cautious consumption and large currency translation effects,” said Daniel Erver, CEO at H&M.
Looking ahead, H&M expects March 2026 sales to rise by 1 per cent in local currencies. The company also highlighted its sustainability progress, noting that 32 per cent of materials used in 2025 were recycled, while 91 per cent were either recycled or sustainably sourced.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (SG)
A total of 25 pilot investments led by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have progressed from the lab to near-market stage under RegioGreenTex, a three-year European Union (EU)-funded project that recently concluded. Most of these are expected to be commercialised within one to three years.
Twenty five pilot investments led by SMEs moved from lab to near‑market under RegioGreenTex, an EU-funded project that ended recently.
Most of these are expected to commercialise in one to three years.
Five regional hubs mapped SME needs and developed services and value chains as well as tools to help SMEs.
These are now open for collaboration and the pilot portfolio is primed for investors and adopters.
At least 70 per cent of the EU grant was allocated to SMEs. A total of 43 partners from 11 regions across eight countries participated in the project, leveraging their expertise towards a common goal of advancing industry and research.
RegioGreenTex was one of the first projects funded under the Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) Instrument programme that focused on process, service and business model innovation, developing advanced textile recycling technologies, regional recycling hubs, and a digital ecosystem for matchmaking and capacity building.
Five regional hubs mapped SME needs and developed services and value chains as well as tools that keep helping SMEs, an official release said.
The RegioGreenTex Digital Tool keeps matchmaking, sharing trainings and hosting the participants’ knowledge base.
The Waste Wizard shows how artificial intelligence-enhanced matchmaking can link leftover textiles with the right reuse or recycling routes.
From recycled-content yarn processes (Tintex) to Recycrom low-impact dyeing (Officina39), ultrasonic quilting for full recyclability (Rovitex) and hybrid recycled-fibre yarns (Hilaturas Mar), the pilots showed concrete, repeatable ways to cut impact without losing performance.
The hubs are now open for collaboration, the digital tools are live and the pilot portfolio is primed for investors and adopters.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
UK commits $1.25 mn to trade facilitation programme for 2026–29
Sweden’s H&M’s Q1 FY26 sales dip but margins improve on cost control
Italy again miss out on Fifa World Cup as Bosnia, Turkiye, Czechs, Sweden qualify
-
Politics1 week agoAfghanistan announces release of detained US citizen
-
Sports1 week agoBroadcast industry CEO says consolidation is ‘essential’ to compete for NFL soaring media rights prices
-
Business1 week agoProperty Play: Home flippers see smallest profits since the Great Recession, real estate data firm says
-
Entertainment1 week agoUN warns migratory freshwater fish numbers are spiralling
-
Tech1 week agoCan a Home Appliance Fix the Problem of Soft-Plastic Waste?
-
Business1 week agoGold prices soar in Pakistan – SUCH TV
-
Fashion1 week agoICE cotton slips on weaker crude, profit booking
-
Business1 week agoMore women are entering wealth management, but few are in advisory roles, study finds