France’s BHV moves to reassure dissatisfied suppliers in the run-up to the festive season

Caught up in a Shein controversy that has prompted accusations of late payments, BHV has sent a letter to its 3,000 suppliers to reassure them and prevent further departures or any slump during the festive season, a highly strategic period for the French department store.

Revealed by La Lettre, the three-page letter, signed by managing director Karl-Stéphane Cottendin, invites suppliers to sort their BHV contacts on December 12.

“We are aware that this transitional period may have weakened our commercial relationships,” the letter states, promising a completely new settlement model. “Between December 2025 and March 2026, we will roll out an instant sales commission system, inspired by best online practice. Every day, you will receive the proceeds of your sales, net of commission, via a fully automated process, with no delay or cashflow risk. It is also [in order] to enable the deployment of this brand-new model that we have retired the Galeries Lafayette banner in the regions.”

The document confirms that the network’s nine stores will, in future, operate under the BHV name. The managing director also confirms the creation of an own-brand label spanning fashion as well as beauty and home. The group promises the best balance of quality, price, and durability, offering essentials complemented by one-off collaborations.

Most of the document, however, focuses on the future of the Paris store, where Shein is only “the first visible step in this transformation” of the network. Management announces fewer window displays on the ground floor, which is set to become a “central square” surrounded by “very busy” streets dedicated to accessories, jewellery, leather goods, beauty, and second-hand. The basement will streamline its DIY offer to accommodate a 1,000-square-metre food hall.

Menswear and womenswear will be consolidated on the first floor, while home, kitchenware, bedding, culture, and electronics will follow from the second to the fifth floors. BHV will also focus on B2B as a growth lever for its Home offer, through partnerships with magazines and collectives of decorators. Above Shein, the rooftop will be redeveloped in late 2026 “to accommodate more ambitious dining and events projects.”

The list of brands that have left the department store, in response to Shein’s arrival or amid accusations of unpaid bills, has grown rapidly. The SMCP group (Sandro, Maje, and Claudie Pierlot) and LVMH (Dior Parfums, Guerlain…) have recently joined the ranks of those leaving BHV. BHV, for its part, has announced a postponement of the opening of five Shein stores planned for its locations in Dijon, Reims, Grenoble, Angers, and Limoges. The length of this postponement has not been specified.