Days before Chinese online-retail platform Shein was due to open its first permanent, offline store the company faces a serious investigation in France over listings of sex dolls with ‘a child-like appearance.’
On discovery of the items, France’s consumer watchdog, the DGCCRF, reported the case to prosecutors and media regulator Arcom. They added that the product description and categorisation on the site leave little doubt as to the child-pornographic nature of the content.
Shein is taking this seriously. The company has since delisted the dolls and told Reuters it had launched an internal investigation, and is reviewing all third-party products on its site. They even went as far as banning all sex-doll products on the platform.
That doesn’t ease the glaring truth that the Shein sex dolls scandal couldn’t have come at a worse time for the brand. Shein’s first ever permanent physical store is due to open any day now in Paris’s swanky BHV Marais department store. Shein’s big offline debut was meant to symbolise a new phase in the company’s expansion, but it could be overshadowed by regulatory and reputational scrutiny.
In September, France’s data-protection authority (CNIL) fined Shein €150 million for cookie-consent violations, a penalty the company is appealing. Two months earlier, the retailer was fined €40 million for misleading discount and environmental claims.
France is also pushing ahead with legislation aimed squarely at the ultra-fast-fashion model. The proposed law includes advertising restrictions, environmental levies tied to textile waste, and tighter oversight of imported clothing. These measures are widely seen as targeting platforms such as Shein and Temu, whose ethical standards may not match French market expectations.
At the time of writing, the Paris opening is still set to go ahead. But with all the stink surrounding the company, Shein’s big moment risks being remembered less as a retail milestone and more as a litmus test of brand strength.
