Shein enters bricks-and-mortar retail in France, sparking backlash

(Reuters) -Online fast-fashion retailer Shein plans to open its first bricks-and-mortar shops in France in November under an agreement with department store owner Société des Grands Magasins, a move that sparked criticism from French retailers. The stores in the BHV department store in central Paris and Galeries Lafayette department stores in five other French cities mark a new step for Shein, which has up to now only hosted temporary marketing-driven pop-ups around the world. SGM president Frédéric Merlin said the launch would attract a younger clientele, adding that a customer might buy a Shein item and a designer handbag on the same day. Galeries Lafayette, which sold the stores operated by SGM under its name through a franchise agreement, said it opposed the move, which would violate t