Overview
- 十二 national trade groups, backed by roughly 100 brands across fashion, grocery, jewelry and e-commerce, accuse Shein of a model that skirts French rules, endangers consumers, and harms domestic businesses and jobs.
- The action is filed at the Aix-en-Provence commercial court, where the coalition plans to intervene in an existing case tied to the liquidation of menswear chain Olly Gan, with an initial procedural hearing set for January 12, 2026.
- Plaintiffs say they will rely on earlier penalties, including DGCCRF and CNIL sanctions totaling about €190 million for deceptive promotions, product non-compliance, and data breaches, as well as recent findings of illicit items on the platform that prompted a Paris prosecutor’s inquiry.
- Their lawyer estimates economic damages could reach several hundreds of millions to billions of euros, with a detailed assessment to be presented as the court sets the litigation timetable, potentially leading to pleadings in 12 to 18 months.
- Shein rejects the allegations as unfounded and likens the move to a boycott, while separate government proceedings on a possible suspension are due in Paris on November 26 and the company has temporarily closed its marketplace during heightened checks that found high non‑compliance rates.