France Mulls Penalties to Rein in Ultra-fast Fashion Brands

The ultra-flexible supply chain has allowed Shein to create a different business model than established fast-fashion players like Zara and H&M, which pioneered shorter production timelines but still largely rely on predicting shoppers’ preferences. Reuters pic
The ultra-flexible supply chain has allowed Shein to create a different business model than established fast-fashion players like Zara and H&M, which pioneered shorter production timelines but still largely rely on predicting shoppers’ preferences. Reuters pic
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France Mulls Penalties to Rein in Ultra-fast Fashion Brands

The ultra-flexible supply chain has allowed Shein to create a different business model than established fast-fashion players like Zara and H&M, which pioneered shorter production timelines but still largely rely on predicting shoppers’ preferences. Reuters pic
The ultra-flexible supply chain has allowed Shein to create a different business model than established fast-fashion players like Zara and H&M, which pioneered shorter production timelines but still largely rely on predicting shoppers’ preferences. Reuters pic

Fashion brands with ultra-fast product turnover such as China's Shein should be subject to penalties of up to 50% of their garments' selling price to offset their environmental impact, French ruling-majority MPs have proposed in a new bill.
The MPs say that ultra-fast fashion brands, rather than renewing their collections four times per year like traditional clothing brands, offer thousands of new products per day, inciting excessive spending and unnecessary pollution, Reuters reported.
"This evolution of the apparel sector towards ephemeral fashion, combining increased volumes and low prices, is influencing consumer buying habits by creating buying impulses and a constant need for renewal, which is not without environmental, social and economic consequences," the bill said.
The bill singled out Chinese ready-to-wear company Shein, saying that it on average presents more than 7,200 new garment models a day, and makes more than 470,000 different products available to consumers.
To offset the environmental impact of ultra-fast fashion, the MPs propose penalties of up to 10 euros ($10.86) per item sold, or up to 50% of the selling price, by 2030.
Shein, in a statement to French news agency AFP, said it follows "best international practices in terms of sustainable development and social commitment".
Following discussion in a parliamentary committee, the bill will be presented to parliament in the second half of March.
French Environment Minister Christophe Bechu said in a statement on Monday that following a meeting with industry players, activists and researchers, his ministry plans several measures to reduce fashion's environmental impact.
He said France plans a ban on advertising by ultra-fast fashion companies and the introduction of a financial incentives system to make ultra fast-fashion more expensive while sustainable fashion will become cheaper.
The popularity of fast fashion e-commerce retailers like Shein and Temu has disrupted the retail sector. Shein taps a network of largely China-based suppliers, bucking traditional manufacturing trends by accepting small initial orders, then scaling up based on demand.
The ultra-flexible supply chain has allowed Shein to create a different business model than established fast-fashion players like Zara and H&M, which pioneered shorter production timelines but still largely rely on predicting shoppers' preferences.



Gucci-owner Kering's Shares Down 5% after Q1 Sales Disappoint

A model presents a creation by the Gucci Fall-Winter 2025/2026 collection during Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, February 25, 2025. REUTERS/STRINGER/File Photo
A model presents a creation by the Gucci Fall-Winter 2025/2026 collection during Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, February 25, 2025. REUTERS/STRINGER/File Photo
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Gucci-owner Kering's Shares Down 5% after Q1 Sales Disappoint

A model presents a creation by the Gucci Fall-Winter 2025/2026 collection during Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, February 25, 2025. REUTERS/STRINGER/File Photo
A model presents a creation by the Gucci Fall-Winter 2025/2026 collection during Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, February 25, 2025. REUTERS/STRINGER/File Photo

Shares of Kering traded down 5% in European morning trade on Thursday, after the group reported a first-quarter sales drop that was worse than analysts' expectations.

Kering after the market close on Wednesday posted a 14% decline in sales, with a 25% drop at flagship label Gucci, the latest signal the luxury sector faces another tough year.

The sales report confirmed "a weakening backdrop" since February, said analysts at Jefferies, noting "the uncertainties around reigniting Gucci's desirability remain plentiful".

The brand, which accounts for around two-thirds of group profits, is betting on in-house talent Demna to revive sales, but new designs will only arrive gradually at the end of the year, Reuters reported.

The French luxury group flagged worsening sales in North America and Western Europe and said it expected sales to continue to fall in double digits, percentage-wise, in the second quarter, before starting to improve.

This leaves the "heavy lifting" for the second half, which will likely depend on a recovery in Chinese demand, noted analysts at Bernstein.

Prospects for the luxury industry, which had pinned hopes on growth from the United States to help pull it out of a slump as the Chinese market remains weak, have been darkened by recession fears prompted by US President Donald Trump's tariff announcements.

As trade tensions have risen, Bellwether LVMH has fallen 23% and Burberry and Kering have both lost 30% since the start of the year. Hermes and Cartier-owner Richemont, viewed by analysts as better insulated from economic downturns because of their wealthier clientele, are up 1% and 3%, respectively.

First-quarter reports from Kering's larger rivals last week also reflected the sector's slowdown and disappointed investors, with sales at LVMH's fashion and leather goods division down 5% while Hermes, which routinely outpaces expectations with double-digit growth, posted a 7% rise.

Analysts at Deutsche Bank on Thursday lowered their 2025 earnings per share estimate for Kering this year by 13% to 8.65 euros ($9.84), citing the company's cautious outlook for the first half, and noting the slowdown in all regions except Asia was slightly worse than peers.

TD Cowen lowered sales forecasts for Gucci this year by 15% to a 20% decline.

The analysts added that Gucci, as well as another Kering label Yves Saint Laurent, were expected to be slower to raise prices to offset tariffs than peers. The Kering labels have a broader base of less-wealthy clients who are more reluctant to splash out in a choppy economic environment.

LVMH, meanwhile, has raised prices of some Louis Vuitton handbags and leather goods by around 4% according to Bernstein and Barclays, while Hermes said it will pass on the full effect of tariffs to shoppers in the United States on May 1.

US tariffs could include a 20% charge on European fashion and leather goods and 31% for Swiss-produced watches if fully applied, but Trump earlier this month paused most of his tariffs for 90 days, setting a general 10% duty rate instead.

The price hikes from Vuitton are "more than enough" to offset even 20% tariffs, said Bernstein.