At the foot of the BHV, more than a hundred people chant “No to Shein.” But behind this slogan directed at the Asian online commerce giant is expressed a deeper concern for the future of these legendary department stores in the center of Paris.
The inter-union union of the Hôtel de Ville Bazaar (CFDT, CFTC, CFE-CGC, CGT, SUD Solidaires) called a strike starting at 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., which did not prevent the establishment from operating on the first day of “BHV Week,” a promotional operation scheduled until October 19.
“Merlin, Merlin, stop this nonsense,” the crowd of protesters also sings to Frédéric Merlin, president of the SGM real estate company that bought the BHV business from Galeries Lafayette in 2023.
In question, the installation of Shein, an ultra-ephemeral fashion brand regularly accused of environmental pollution, unfair competition or even undignified working conditions, is scheduled for November on the sixth floor of the BHV.
“Beneficial” for SGM
This project, whose announcement sparked outrage among both merchants and politicians, “threatens the short-term” survival of the store, the unions are alarmed.
Present to support the strikers, the deputy for Commerce of the Paris City Council, Nicolas Bonnet-Oulaldj, once again stated that he was “totally against the arrival of Shein”, ensuring that he shared the “concern” of the employees.
On the contrary, SGM told AFP that it was “convinced” that this partnership was “beneficial for the group and its employees”, stating that it wanted to “maintain dialogue with employees and unions to explain the benefits of this project.”
Beyond the arrival of Shein, the situation at BHV has continued to deteriorate since it passed into the hands of Frédéric Merlin, according to the unions.
“More goods”
In addition to the elimination of “more than 300 direct jobs”, they point out in a statement the accumulation of unpaid invoices that has pushed several suppliers – such as Slip Français – to leave BHV or suspend their deliveries.
More recently, other brands (AIME, Culture Vintage, Talm…) have walked out to protest against the association with Shein.
“There are brands that leave, that return, like in a soap opera,” lamented a 45-year-old striking employee to AFP, who wanted to remain anonymous and for whom the “problem is deeper” than the arrival of Shein.
To make matters worse, on Wednesday the Bank of the Territories withdrew from negotiations begun in June with SGM to help it buy back the BHV walls, citing “a breach of trust.” The SGM assured for its part that it had “other partners who have confirmed their commitment.”
For his part, Nicolas Bonnet-Oulaldj assures AFP that he is working behind the scenes for “another path”: “We are trying to convince the general management and Mr. Merlin, we are trying to work with the Bank of the Territories for a new vision and relaunch the BHV”, whose fate endangers “the entire economy of the district.”
“The real fear is that this is really the future of the store”
“The real fear is that this is really the future of the store,” Dorothée added. “How we are going to be able to continue with the brands that are leaving (….) is very complicated, because we no longer have products to sell, our turnover is collapsing.”
Numerous empty shelves attest to the magnitude of the difficulties, especially in the areas reserved for DIY and stationery, where customers continued to wander around on Friday despite the strike.
“There are reductions,” explained a 68-year-old retiree, unrelated to the mobilization. If Shein and its discounted prices “question it”, those who prefer to “buy French” also think “of young people who do not always have the means.”
On the part of the workers, a non-striker who had participated in a previous mobilization in July, denounced to the AFP the focus of Friday’s mobilization in Shein… and its recovery by some politicians.
Source: BFM TV
