Shein opened its first physical store worldwide in Paris under the eye of riot police, as the French government said it was suspending the Asian e-commerce giant’s online platform following outrage over its sale of childlike sex dolls.Hundreds of shoppers streamed into Shein’s permanent physical store on the sixth floor of the BHV department store, a landmark that has stood across from Paris City Hall since 1856.Police patrolled the street and put up barriers, keeping nearby protesters from approaching the waiting shoppers. Soon after the launch of the shop, the French government said it was suspending the Shein digital platform until the company complied with French legislation.Despite an uproar in the couture capital over the Asian brand’s fast fashion business model and its environmental impact, the first shoppers queued for hours outside the luxury department store.Some of the crowd — ranging from older couples to mothers with young kids and trendy 20-somethings — said they arrived out of curiosity, while others pointed to the brand’s affordability.”Times have changed, generations have changed,” Mohamed Joullanar, a 30-year-old who already buys from Shein online, told AFP.”I’d never thought of going to BHV before,” the Moroccan masters student told AFP. “I always heard it was expensive, luxury products. But now, thanks to Shein, I’m here.”Hammani Souhaila bought a 16.49-euro ($18.93) T-shirt for her 17-year-old daughter at the store but expressed regret that the Shein items sold at BHV were “more expensive than online”.- ‘Crimes against children’ -Nearby children’s rights activists staged a protest.”We protect Shein and the culture of crimes against children while survivors of childhood sexual violence with their signs are pushed aside,” protester Caroline Di Ruzza from Mouv’Enfants, an association for the protection of children, told AFP.Leftist political groups gave speeches and distributed flyers, including one denouncing “suspected forced labour” and “pollution”, and urging passersby to sign a petition against Shein’s presence in the Paris store.Shein, which was founded in China in 2012 but is now based in Singapore, has faced criticism over working conditions at its factories and the environmental impact of its ultra-fast fashion business model, among other concerns.Its arrival in France has been opposed by politicians, unions and top fashion brands.Just days before the planned opening, a new controversy erupted over the sale of childlike sex dolls on Shein’s platform. The discovery triggered a new political outcry and the opening of a judicial investigation against Shein, and also rival online retailer AliExpress, over the sale of the sex dolls.But the queues still formed despite the uproar. “The dolls didn’t stop me from coming,” said Fatima Mriouch, a 48-year-old education worker.  On Wednesday, the government said it was moving to suspend the Shein website in France “for the time necessary for the platform to demonstrate to the public authorities that all of its content is finally in compliance with our laws”.The retailer said it wanted dialogue with the French authorities, and separately said it was suspending products from third-party sellers in France.- Man arrested over childlike doll -In a new development, prosecutors said a man was arrested in southern France after ordering a childlike sex doll from China.The parcel did not come from Shein, prosecutor Jean-Luc Blachon told AFP.The man, who was taken into custody, had previously been convicted of sexual assault and “admitted to having ordered the doll for sexual purposes”, prosecutors said.Shein has already pledged to “fully cooperate” with French authorities over the probe into the retailer, and announced it was imposing a ban on all sex dolls.Frederic Merlin, the 34-year-old director of the SGM company that operates BHV, has said he considered pulling the plug on the partnership with Shein but later changed his mind.Merlin, who expressed hope that Shein will help increase footfall at the department store, made an appearance at the entrance shortly before the official opening. Shein is also scheduled to open five shops in other French cities, including Dijon, Grenoble and Reims.ole-hrc-sw-as/sjw/phz/jhb

Asian e-commerce giant Shein Tuesday pledged to “cooperate fully” with French judicial authorities after an uproar over it selling childlike sex dolls, and said it was prepared to disclose the names of people who bought them.The controversy comes as the ultra-fast fashion giant is set to open its first bricks and mortar store in the world, in the prestigious BHV department store in central Paris on Wednesday.”We will cooperate fully with the judicial authorities,” Shein’s spokesman in France, Quentin Ruffat, told RMC radio, adding the company was prepared to share the names of those who have bought such dolls.”We will be completely transparent with the authorities,” he said.”We will put the necessary safeguards in place to ensure that this does not happen again,” Ruffat added.The Paris prosecutor’s office said it had opened investigations against Shein, and also rival online retailer AliExpress, over the sale of sex dolls.The probes were also for distributing “messages that are violent, pornographic or improper, and accessible to minors”, the office told AFP.The investigations were launched after France’s anti-fraud unit reported on Saturday that Shein, a Singapore-based company which was originally founded in China, was selling childlike sex dolls.French media published a photo of one of the dolls sold on the platform, accompanied by an explicitly sexual caption.The pictured doll measured around 80 centimetres (30 inches) in height and held a teddy bear.Ruffat described what had happened as “serious, unacceptable, intolerable.”He chalked up the sale of the dolls to “a malfunction in our processes and governance”.- ‘Who can stop it?’ -On Monday, Shein announced it was imposing a “total ban on sex-doll-type products” and had deleted all listings and images linked to them.  Shein’s meteoric rise has been a bane for traditional retail fashion companies and, even before the uproar over the dolls, the arrival of Shein in the fashion capital had sparked controversy.Critics fear that Shein will further hurt stores in France that have had to lay off staff or close.”Shein in France. Who can stop it?” left-leaning French daily Liberation said on its front page.Frederic Merlin, the 34-year-old director of the SGM company that operates BHV, has been criticised for partnering up with Shein, which has been accused of unfair competition, environmental pollution and poor working conditions.Merlin admitted on Tuesday that he considered pulling the plug on the partnership with Shein after the latest uproar.”It’s despicable,” he told broadcaster RTL.”I find it sickening to know that we can freely sell this kind of stuff on the internet,” Merlin added.But he said he had reconsidered, adding that Shein’s stance and readiness to cooperate with the French authorities “convinced me to continue”.He said he was confident about the Shein products that will be sold at the department store, and denounced a “general hypocrisy” surrounding Shein and its “25 million French customers”.He expressed hope that the Asian giant would help increase footfall at the department store.- ‘Shein has to pay’ -Shein is also scheduled to open several shops in Galeries Lafayette department stores run by SGM in other parts of France.But the Galeries Lafayette group has refused to be associated with Shein.On Tuesday, it ended a partnership with SGM, likely meaning it will withdraw its name from seven such department stores in France, including in the cities of Dijon and Grenoble, the group and SGM said.The mayor of Dijon, Nathalie Koenders, deplored Shein’s upcoming arrival in her city, calling on legislators and European institutions to take action.On Monday, an association fighting to protect children from all forms of violence staged a protest in front of the BHV department store in Paris.”Shame on Shein,” one of the signs read.”Shein has to pay, politically speaking,” said Arnaud Gallais, co-founder and president of the Mouv’Enfants association.egu-ac-jul-as/ah/rl/jhb

Asian e-commerce giant Shein said Monday it was banning sex dolls from sale on its sites globally after French authorities condemned it for featuring ones resembling children.France’s finance minister had threatened to ban the retailer from the country if it resumed selling the childlike dolls, just days before it opens its first physical store in Paris.The Paris prosecutors’ office said it had opened investigations against Shein, and also rival online retailer AliExpress, over the sale of sex dolls.The probes were also for distributing “messages that are violent, pornographic or improper, (and) accessible to minors”, the office told AFP.The investigations were launched after France’s anti-fraud unit reported on Saturday that Shein was selling “childlike” dolls of a likely pornographic nature.French daily Le Parisien published a photo of one of the dolls sold on the platform, accompanied by an explicitly sexual caption.The pictured doll measured around 80 centimetres (30 inches) in height and held a teddy bear.Shortly after the fraud watchdog’s statement, Shein announced the dolls had been withdrawn from its platform and it had launched an internal inquiry.It later announced, in a statement on Monday, that it was imposing a “total ban on sex-doll-type products” and had deleted all listings and images linked to them. A spokesperson told AFP the ban applied globally.”These publications came from third-party vendors, but I take personal responsibility,” said Shein’s chief executive Donald Tang.- French warning -France’s finance Minister Roland Lescure had warned Monday he would move to ban the company from the French market if the items returned online.”These horrible items are illegal,” he told the BFMTV broadcaster, promising a judicial investigation.Shein said it was setting up a dedicated team to ensure the “integrity” of content on the sales platform.France’s high commissioner for childhood, Sarah El Hairy, said several websites were being investigated, after French media reported Chinese shopping platform AliExpress sold the same dolls.AliExpress said it had immediately removed the items from its website.The anti-fraud office said in a statement later Monday that it was taking legal action against AliExpress for selling “child-porn-style dolls”.- Shein store in Paris -Shein is due on Wednesday to open its first physical store in the world inside the prestigious BHV Marais department store in central Paris, a move that has sparked outrage in France.Frederic Merlin, the director of the company that owns BHV, said selling the childlike dolls was “unacceptable”, but on Monday defended his decision to allow Shein into the department store.”Only clothes and items conceived directly by Shein for BHV will be sold in store,” he said.Shein, a Singapore-based company which was originally founded in China, has faced criticism over working conditions at its factories and the environmental impact of its ultra-fast fashion business model.Some brands have pulled their products from BHV Marais since the announcement.France has already fined Shein three times in 2025 for a total of 191 million euros ($220 million).Those sanctions were imposed for failing to comply with online cookie legislation, false advertising, misleading information and not declaring the presence of plastic microfibres in its products.The European Commission is also investigating Shein over risks linked to illegal products, while EU lawmakers have approved legislation aimed at curbing the environmental impact of fast fashion.

Stock markets mostly retreated Friday as the prolonged US government shutdown dragged on investor sentiment, along with worries about an AI bubble dismissed by President Donald Trump.Large tech names that have propelled major US equity indices to repeat records throughout 2025 were under pressure most of the day, although some big names inched into positive territory late in the session.US stocks finished Friday’s session mixed, with the Dow and S&P 500 narrowly positive, while the Nasdaq ended lower.But equity markets have hit resistance in recent days amid concerns that stocks are overvalued and doubts over tens of billions of dollars in new AI investments that have been announced.The worries include that “data centers might not be profitable in the near future.” said Tom Cahill of Ventura Wealth Management, who also emphasized the drag from the record-length government shutdown.”There are several data points that suggest that the labor market is really cooling and with all the uncertainty around the government shutdown and tariffs, that’s probably going to continue to weigh on hiring,” Cahill said.But Trump on Friday rejected talk of any AI bubble.”No, I love AI. I think it’s going to be very helpful,” Trump said in response to an AFP reporter about whether there is an AI bubble.”It’s truly going to be the future, and we’re leading the world.”US stocks got a boost late in the session on a revised offer from Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer that could end the shutdown, although leading Republicans quickly rejected the proposal.Investors have pointed to the shutdown as a source of unease because of the lack of government data. But analysts said there is also rising worry about the economic impact as well.”The longer this lasts the more damage it does,” said Art Hogan of B. Riley Wealth Management.”We’re at the point where investors are starting to realize it is causing real damage.”The shutdown is denting consumer sentiment, according to a University of Michigan survey that showed a decline in November compared with October.”With the federal government shutdown dragging on for over a month, consumers are now expressing worries about potential negative consequences for the economy,” said surveys director Joanne Hsu.The University of Michigan data came a day after a report from outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas showed US layoffs hit the highest level in 22 years last month.Investors have been forced to use private data as a guide to the state of the world’s biggest economy because of the lack of official data.The shutdown also forced the cancelation of hundreds of flights on Friday after Trump’s administration ordered reductions to ease the strain on air traffic controllers who are working without paMarkets were also pressured by official data showing China’s exports fell in October for the first time in eight months as trade tensions flared in the weeks before Chinese President Xi Jinping and Trump reached a detente.London’s top-tier FTSE 100 index was dragged down by double-digit falls in the share prices of online property business Rightmove and British Airways owner IAG following earnings updates that undershot market expectations.- Key figures at around 2115 GMT -New York – Dow: UP 0.2 percent at 46,987.10 (close)New York – S&P 500: UP 0.1 percent at 6,728.80 (close)New York – Nasdaq Composite: DOWN 0.2 percent at 23,004.54 (close)London – FTSE 100: DOWN 0.6 percent at 9,682.57 (close)Paris – CAC 40: DOWN 0.2 percent at 7,950.18 (close)Frankfurt – DAX: DOWN 0.7 percent at 23,569.96 (close)Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 1.2 percent at 50,276.37 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.9 percent at 26,241.83 (close)Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 0.3 percent at 3,997.56 (close)Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1563 from $1.1547 on ThursdayPound/dollar: UP at $1.3160 from $1.3137Dollar/yen: UP at 153.46 yen from 153.06 yenEuro/pound: DOWN at 87.86 pence from 87.90 penceBrent North Sea Crude: UP 0.4 percent at $63.63 per barrelWest Texas Intermediate: UP 0.5 percent at $59.75 per barrelburs-jmb/des