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French authorities have imposed more than €22 million ($25.5 million) in fresh penalties on fast-fashion retailer Shein over alleged violations of consumer protection and environmental transparency regulations. The fine further intensifies scrutiny of the company’s operations in the country.
The sanctions, announced on Wednesday by France’s consumer protection watchdog, the Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention (DGCCRF), stem from an investigation into several e-commerce platforms operating in the French market.
A fine of €5.77 million was imposed on Infinite Style Ecommerce Co Ltd (ISEL), the entity responsible for Shein’s sales activities. According to the regulator, the company failed to comply with the legally mandated 14-day withdrawal period that allows consumers to reconsider certain purchases and return products free of charge.
The DGCCRF also accused Shein of failing to provide mandatory product traceability information, including details on where garments were woven, dyed and manufactured. In addition, the agency alleged that the company did not adequately disclose the presence of microplastics in certain fabrics.
In a separate action, the regulator fined Infinite Styles Services Limited (ISSL), another Shein subsidiary, €16.73 million for breaches of French consumer law.
The latest penalties bring the total amount of fines imposed on Shein by French authorities to more than €210 million.
In a statement, the Singapore-based company said it would challenge both sanctions.
“We dispute these findings and consider the fines manifestly disproportionate,” Shein said, adding that there had been no evidence of consumer harm resulting from the alleged violations.
The company further stated that it remained confident in the quality and safety of the products and services offered on its platform and said it was unaware of any customer complaints related to the issues identified by regulators.
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