the CEO of Coopérative U “welcomes the government’s decision to move towards a suspension” of the platform

The government has initiated a procedure to “suspend” the fast-fashion platform in France so that its products “finally comply with our laws and regulations”.

The CEO of Cooperative U “welcomes the government’s decision to move towards a suspension” of the Shein platform in France, he declared Thursday, November 6 on France Inter. Shein “accumulates non-conformities”denounces Dominique Schelcher, while the Asian platform is at the heart of a scandal after the sale of child pornography dolls on its site. The company has also already received three fines this year in France for a total of 191 million euros, for non-compliance with legislation on cookies, false promotions, misleading information and non-declaration of plastic microfibers.

“At some point, when there is a repetition of non-compliance, yes, we have to go as far as closure”believes Dominique Schelcher, who describes “joke” Shein’s statement saying consumer safety is the priority. “We have to ask ourselves the right questions about the consumption model we want and at what price”defends the boss of the fourth French distributor. “I understand the problem of purchasing power” more “What I say to consumers is ‘no low prices at any price’, it cannot be to the detriment of their own safety”he insists.

At the head of some 1,800 stores, Dominique Schelcher regrets that there is no competition with online platforms like Shein. “on equal terms”. Its stores are them “extremely controlled and rightly so”he believes.

He also denies the remarks of the boss of BHV Frédéric Merlin, where a Shein space opened on Wednesday, according to which certain products sold in shopping centers are manufactured “in the same factories” than those of Shein. “I was (Wednesday) evening in my federation with the bosses of large French food distribution. We deny this information. These are not the same factories which manufacture these products.”

“We have rules, we have quality engineers, we have specifications, we do not tolerate that.”

Dominique Schelcher, CEO of Coopérative U

at France Inter

Faced with this, “acting only in France will not be enough, we must of course act firmly at the European level”advances the CEO of Coopérative U. France asked the European Commission this Thursday “to initiate an investigation and impose appropriate sanctions” against Shein.

At the same time, Dominique Schelcher submitted a report to the government on Wednesday on the revitalization of city centers. Written with Frédérique Macarez, the mayor of Saint-Quentin, and Antoine Saintoyant, the director of the Banque des Territoires, it presents 30 recommendations. THE “three main measures” are to fight against “unfair competition”give “more power to mayors” and act on taxation and rents. In particular, he recommends taxing warehouses, like those of Amazon, as commercial spaces.