Le BHV Marais 4 mois apres l inauguration de la boutique SHEIN
Quatre mois apres l’inauguration tres mediatisee de la boutique SHEIN, la marque chinoise tres controversee d’ultra fast-fashion, petit retour au BHV Marais a Paris le 27 février 2026 pour voir comment les choses ont evolue …
Les surfaces du magasin ont ete re-agencees, des paravents cachent le vide mais on voit au sol les emplacements des meubles de presentation disparus ou echanges pour des presentoirs plus legers. Certains endroits sont deserts et donnent l’impression de se trouver en arriere-boutique ou en entrepot. Pour remplir le vide, le magasin multiplie les « coins detente » avec 2 fauteuils et une table basse censes offrir un peu de repos au milieu d’une epuisante journee de shopping.
Beaucoup de rayons sont vides, plusieurs exemplaires d un meme produit sont disposes sur les racks mais derriere la premiere rangee, il n y a rien, ou encore on aligne consciencieusement toutes les couleurs d’un meme article sur 4 etageres pour occuper l espace. On voit que les vitrines sont remplies pour « meubler » et non pour exposer. Des batteries de caisses sont condamnees avec un meuble qui en barre l acces. Le magasin est desertique pour un vendredi apres-midi, il y a tres peu de clients et celui-ci ne trouve pas ce qu il veut…
La plupart des marques francaises de luxe, Dior, Chanel, Guerlain sont parties, emportant avec elles tout le prestige du grand magasin. Son rayon Beaux Arts, qui tenait la dragee haute aux magasins specialises de la capitale comme Rougier Ple ou Lavrut avec des demonstrations animees par des artistes-ambassadeurs des marques a ete demantele aussi. Et si vous etiez client du mythique sous-sol du magasin, peut-etre aurez vous comme beaucoup le cœur brise aussi : le rayon bricolage qui etait l’ADN du BHV Marais n’est plus qu’une coquille vide. Toutes ces etageres vides donnent une ambiance triste de penurie d’apres-guerre.
Au 6e, a l’etage SHEIN, le constat est le meme. En sortant de l’ascenseur, on est frappe par l’immense espace vide a traverser avant d’arriver a la surface de vente. Ici aussi, il y a moins de marchandise alors on l’etale. La marque est en promotion a -40% pour 1 mois. Pourtant, la batterie de 10 caisses dediees a la boutique chinoise est tragiquement deserte. Une seule caisse est ouverte.
Desaveu total, echec cuisant … on aurait presque pitie de ce jeune patron qui a eu le merite de vouloir essayer quelque chose de nouveau mais s’est lourdement trompe en oubliant de prendre en compte un element essentiel : le grand attachement du Parisien a « son BHV ». Malgre une offre sensiblement identique, chacun des 5 grands magasins parisiens possede sa propre identite, et celle du BHV Marais etait resolument tournee vers la famille et la tradition francaise. Y implanter le symbole de la consommation irrespectueuse etait un acte de haute trahison que la clientele du vieux magasin parisien a lourdement sanctionne.
BHV Marais Department store 4 months after the opening of the SHEIN store
Four months after the much publicised opening of the SHEIN store, the controversial Chinese ultra-fast fashion brand, we returned to BHV Marais in Paris on February 27, 2026 to see how things have changed...
The store's layout has been rearranged with screens hiding the empty spaces but you still can see marks on the floor where the display furniture has been removed or replaced with lighter displays. Some areas are deserted, giving the impression of being in the back of the shop or in a warehouse. To fill the void, the shop has added several ‘relaxation corners’ with two armchairs and a coffee table, intended to offer a little rest in the middle of an exhausting day of shopping.
Many shelves are empty, several copies of the same product are displayed on the racks but behind the first row there is nothing, or all the colours of the same item are conscientiously lined up on four shelves to fill the space. It is clear that the shop windows are filled to ‘furnish’ rather than to display. Rows of cash registers are blocked off with a piece of furniture that bars access. The shop is deserted for a Friday afternoon, there are very few customers and they cannot find what they want.
Most French luxury brands, such as Dior, Chanel and Guerlain have left taking with them all the prestige of the department store. Its Fine Arts section which rivalled specialist shops in the capital such as Rougier Ple and Lavrut with demonstrations led by artist ambassadors for the brands has also been dismantled. And if you were a customer of the store's legendary basement, you may also be heartbroken like many others: the DIY department which was the DNA of BHV Marais is now just an empty shell. All these empty shelves create a sad atmosphere reminiscent of post-war shortages.
On the sixth floor, the SHEIN floor, the situation is the same. When you step out of the lift, you are struck by the huge empty space you need to cross before reaching the sales area. Here too, there is less merchandise, so it is spread out. The brand is offering a 40% discount during 1 month. However, the 10 checkouts dedicated to the Chinese store are tragically deserted. Only one checkout is open.
A total failure, a bitter disappointment... one could almost feel sorry for this young boss who deserves credit for wanting to try something new but made a serious mistake by failing to take into account one essential factor: Parisians' deep attachment to ‘their BHV’. Despite offering largely identical products, each of the five major Parisian department stores has its own identity, and that of BHV Marais was resolutely focused on family and French tradition. Introducing the symbol of disrespectful consumerism was an act of high treason that the clientele of the old Parisian store severely punished.
