PARIS, Feb 5 - France will step up pressure on major online marketplaces, including Shein, in what the minister for small and medium-sized businesses described as a "year of resistance", the minister told television station TF1 on Thursday.
Serge Papin said the explosion of low-cost online sellers creates an uneven playing field for traditional French retailers, which he said bear greater responsibilities for the goods they place on their shelves than platforms do for items offered on their marketplaces. "It is unfair that physical stores are responsible for the goods they sell on their shelves, while online platforms are not," he said.
The government has lodged an appeal to a Paris court against a December ruling that denied its request for a three-month suspension of Shein. The original suspension request followed the discovery of child-like sex dolls for sale on Shein's marketplace. The appeal is due to be heard by the court.
Shein has partially reopened its marketplace and said it has implemented controls on items sold there. The company declined to comment on Thursday.
Describing such safety and compliance problems as "systemic", Papin said he expected the court to be receptive to the government's argument that Shein's conduct amounted to a "disturbance to public order". He also criticised what he sees as unfair competition and reiterated that online platforms must follow consumer protection rules applied to French retailers. "We need to protect ourselves of course, there is unfair competition, they must respect the consumer rules (applied to French retailers)," he said.
Beyond the court appeal, Papin said two French lawmakers are preparing a bill that would give the government authority to suspend online platforms without first obtaining court approval. He added that he would like to see Shein's sales decline in France.
France is also implementing a 2 euro tax on small parcels, set to take effect from March 1. In addition, the European Union will introduce a 3 euro charge in the summer on small parcels that were previously exempt from tariffs. These tax measures are presented as efforts to curb sales by Shein and similar platforms.
Papin linked the rapid expansion of Shein to its business model, which moves merchandise directly from factories in China to consumers around the globe, allowing the company to offer clothes and accessories at very low prices. He said this model has provoked pushback in several European countries as traditional retailers lose market share.
France's stated strategy combines litigation, proposed legislative change and fiscal measures aimed at rebalancing competitive conditions between brick-and-mortar retailers and large online marketplaces.