Paris Edition

A Shein Store in France? Some Say ‘Non, Merci’

But the country may once again fail to protect its economy from China competitiveness “shocks.”

Shein packages.

Photographer: Tamara Merino/Bloomberg
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Bonjour et Bienvenue to the Paris Edition. I’m Bloomberg Opinion columnist Lionel Laurent. If you haven’t yet, subscribe now to the Paris Edition newsletter.

The devil prowls through the city, clinking his gold coins. Who will open their door?” It’s not often the retail industry has the French press reaching for Satanic metaphors. But this shows the extent of the outraged reactions to Chinese fast-fashion e-tailer Shein launching brick-and-mortar stores in the land of Louis Vuitton and Galeries Lafayette, with stores once owned by the latter planning to host some of these shops.