While France protests against Shein‘s arrival at the BHV Marais department store, a completely different story is unfolding in the background. A story that has little to do with shopping streets and everything to do with data flows, retargeting, and scale.
Purely as bait
Some customers complain that the items in the Paris store are more expensive. Impossible, as each item has a QR code that allows you to buy it directly from the webshop, the store employees reassure them. The boutique simply encourages “showrooming”: view and try on here, but feel free to order from home on your sofa tonight. Preferably, even.
