France Investigates Shein Over Sex Dolls As Shein Opens Their First Store
Chinese fast-fashion giant Shein is under investigation in France after the country’s consumer watchdog said it found childlike sex dolls for sale on its platform. Prosecutors in Paris have opened a probe into Shein, Temu, AliExpress and Wish for allegedly hosting violent, pornographic or undignified messages that could be accessed by minors.
The scandal broke just days before Shein’s first-ever permanent store opens in Paris, at the famous BHV department store. The timing could hardly be worse for the company, which has already faced heavy criticism in France over labor practices and environmental concerns.
France’s anti-fraud office, the DGCCRF, accused Shein of selling dolls “with a childlike appearance,” saying their descriptions “make it difficult to doubt the pedopornographic nature of the content.” Finance Minister Roland Lescure warned that if such behavior happens again, France “will be entitled to ban access to the French market for the Shein platform.” He added bluntly: “These horrible objects are illegal.”
In response, Shein announced a “complete ban” on all sex dolls globally, promising to remove every related listing and strengthen internal controls to prevent them from being listed on the site again. Executive chairman Donald Tang said, “The fight against child exploitation is non-negotiable for SHEIN.” The company also said it would permanently block all sellers involved and reinforce their safeguards to prevent minors from viewing inappropriate material.
Other e-commerce giants caught up in the probe are distancing themselves from the controversy. AliExpress said the listings violated its rules and were removed immediately, while Temu said it does not allow such items and is working with French authorities “to reinforce our minor protection mechanism.”
Despite Shein’s pledges to rectify the situation, public anger in France has only grown. Protesters gathered outside BHV ahead of the store’s opening, and several fashion labels have cut ties with the department store in protest. Designer Agnès B announced she will close her BHV concession in January, saying, “I’m completely against this fast-fashion... there are jobs under threat, it’s very bad.”
The outrage has spread beyond the dolls scandal to Shein’s wider impact on French retail. Politicians and brands accuse the company of undercutting local businesses by exploiting a tax loophole that exempts low-value imports from customs duties. Former commerce minister Véronique Louwagie argued, “Shein impacts the vitality of our regions, destroys jobs and destroys shops.”
Société des Grands Magasins (SGM), which operates BHV and partnered with Shein to launch the new store, insists the collaboration will attract younger shoppers and create jobs. “We believe in Shein’s project,” said SGM’s general director Karl-Stéphane Cottendin, calling the store openings “a very small-scale trial.”
But the backlash has real consequences. Over 20 brands have pulled out of BHV, Disneyland Paris canceled a planned holiday display, and even Galeries Lafayette decided to cut ties with Shein. France’s public bank Caisse des Dépôts also withdrew from a real estate deal tied to BHV, citing “values of promoting local and responsible business.”
French regulators have fined Shein a total of €190 million for previous violations involving data collection and misleading discounts. Lawmakers are now pushing a fast-fashion law that could fine companies like Shein for every item sold and ban them from advertising.
As Shein moves ahead with plans to open outlets in seven French cities, the controversy shows no sign of fading. While the company says it wants to “cooperate fully” with authorities, French leaders are united in warning that the platform’s practices clash with national values.
For now, Shein’s Paris launch will go ahead — but under intense scrutiny, both from regulators and from a public increasingly skeptical of its promises.
