Under fire since his alliance with Shein, Frédéric Merlin, the young head of BHV whose rise has been meteoric, admits he “underestimated” the challenge posed by the Paris department store, but stands by his strategy, intended to “keep retail alive.”
Frédéric Merlin, president of Société des Grands Magasins (SGM) and owner of BHV, during a photo shoot in Paris, 22 October 2025. – (AFP – Thibaud MORITZ)
“I always try to be humble, because at 34, you don’t know everything,” the executive recently told AFP during an interview on the sixth floor of the Bazar de l’Hôtel de Ville.
It is here that Shein, the Asian e-commerce giant accused of unfair competition and environmental pollution, is due to open its first permanent shop on Wednesday, under an agreement with Société des Grands Magasins (SGM), the commercial property company founded in 2021 by Frédéric Merlin and his sister, Maryline.
Originally from the Lyon region and raised by a father who ran a small industrial piping business and a stay-at-home mother, the siblings’ fortune is estimated at €600 million, ranking them 233rd in France, according to Challenges.
A “friend” of former president Nicolas Sarkozy, Merlin benefited from the financial backing of businessman Jean-Paul Dufour, a shareholder alongside SGM with “a 42.5% stake in the majority of the group’s subsidiaries,” according to its latest social report published in August 2024, as noted by L’Express.
“Ocean liner”
The owner of the BHV business since 2023, SGM also operates a dozen shopping centres, as well as seven Galeries Lafayette stores in the provinces, five of which are set to host Shein.
In protest, several brands have announced they are leaving the Paris department store, already shunned by suppliers unhappy about a build-up of unpaid invoices, which Merlin says are linked to “tools” issues that are being resolved, and not to cash-flow problems.
Dropped by Banque des Territoires (an entity of Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations) for the acquisition of the BHV building, SGM has also been excluded from the Union du grand commerce de centre-ville (UCV), while the Galeries Lafayette group refuses to allow Shein to set up in stores bearing its name.
“Who would want to work with a pathological liar?” said Yann Rivoallan, president of the Fédération Française du Prêt-à-Porter Féminin, on RMC.
Merlin “is not collaborative”, Nicolas Bonnet-Oulaldj, the deputy mayor of Paris in charge of commerce, told AFP.
“He told everyone that he had the support of Anne Hidalgo regarding Shein, which is totally false.” More generally, Merlin didn’t realise he was taking on “an ocean liner”, according to the department store’s inter-union body.
“What I underestimated was all the political and media attention that comes with taking on this Paris monument right opposite City Hall,” admits Merlin, denouncing the “surrounding hypocrisy” in the face of Shein and its many consumers.
“Head of the family”
“We could have done better,” admits the man who says he has made BHV “profitable” and works “14 hours a day.”
Born in the Lyon suburb of Vénissieux, Merlin grew up in a family that gave him “self-confidence” and “entrepreneurial drive.” After a spell at law school, the young man obtained a BTS in property, having been drawn to the profession during a placement.
Armed with a “€15,000 student loan,” he and his sister founded, at the age of 20, a commercial property consultancy (IMEA) before launching another (ADI) in 2014, specialising in the redevelopment of commercial buildings.
The Merlins hired their father, who brought his “industrial rigour,” until his death in 2018, the year SGM was launched, turning around shopping centres that nobody wanted any more in towns such as Roubaix or Mulhouse.
“You had to have a lot of nerve,” recalls Fabrice Fubert, co-director of a commercial property consultancy, who notably suggested in 2021 that Merlin acquire seven Galeries Lafayette stores.
Not “from the establishment,” Merlin is “an audacious man who takes risks and shakes things up,” as when he brought in Pokémon or YouTuber Squeezie for pop-up shops at BHV, says Fabrice Fubert.
The father of a young boy, Merlin asserts his role as “head of the family,” putting himself on the front line to “protect” his sister and his mother, Dominique, SGM’s deputy managing director.
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Mappin & Webb has made its return to Birmingham at long last, “marking a new chapter for one of Britain’s most prestigious jewellers”.
Mappin & Webb
It’s taken over two decades but the Watches of Switzerland-owned brand’s return to the city comes with a premium showroom site located beneath the historic Burlington Hotel on New Street.
Just moments from the city’s Jewellery Quarter, the showroom “celebrates the deep connection between the brand’s craftsmanship and Birmingham’s long-standing reputation for creativity and design excellence”.
Following a seven-month refurbishment, the 2,800 sq ft showroom features a “world-class collection of luxury watch and jewellery brands within a refined and immersive environment”.
Key to the interior design is a dedicated hospitality bar, private consultation areas and statement chandelier and architectural detailing, “which pay homage to the building’s historic character”.
In a first for the city, the introduction of an external Rolex clock reinforces the century-long partnership between the brands. Of course, a dedicated Rolex area is located at the heart of the showroom where visitors can explore the full range of collections. This also includes a curated selection of Rolex Certified Pre-owned watches.
Additionally, the showroom features luxury timepieces from brands including IWC Schaffhausen, Jaeger-LeCoultre, TAG Heuer, and Tudor.
The jewellery highlight includes one of America’s “most innovative fine jewellery designers” David Yurman, which is exclusive to the Watches of Switzerland Group. Venetian jeweller Roberto Coin is also present alongside Mappin & Webb’s own fine jewellery collections.
Joining other new-concept Mappin & Webb locations in York, Bluewater, Glasgow and Manchester, the Birmingham showroom “reinforces the Watches of Switzerland Group’s strategic vision to strengthen its city presence while balancing heritage with innovation”.
ASOS’s goal to elevate its menswear offer with more premium labels continues apace. Now you can add four more brands to its “growing roster of globally-recognised and design-led brands”.
ASOS
This now includes Madrid-based streetwear label Pompeii, US denim major True Religion, Scandi brand Double A by Wood Wood, and streetwear brand No Problemo “each bringing a distinct aesthetic to the ASOS menswear mix”.
“Together, these brands represent ASOS’s commitment to offering customers access to quality craftsmanship, directional design, and cultural relevance… the expanded line-up highlights the breadth and depth of ASOS’s menswear range” it said.
Shazmeen Malik, Brands director at ASOS said: “Our recent brand launches mark a shift in how we show up for Menswear, delivering standout style, cultural connection, and more of what our customer wants. With a carefully curated premium streetwear offering, [this] is the place for fashion-forward customers to find bold, relevant, and quality pieces that truly stand out.”
In October, the digital retail giant launched ASOS Collective to not only “sharpen” the fashion retailer’s menswear proposition but “signal a confident pivot: ASOS aiming higher in quality, longevity and design refinement”.
New collections include “next-level essentials… building on wardrobe pillars rather than chasing trends – a move that echoes the retailer’s broader strategy to elevate its in-house labels”.
Swedish streetwear/denim brand Nudie Jeans is to open a UK Repair Shop on Park Street, Bristol, “bringing [our] signature blend of denim, culture, and sustainability to one of [the city’s] most iconic streets”.
Nudie Jeans
Opening Thursday (11 December) and becoming its third alongside existing stores in London and Manchester, the ‘community-driven’ store brings its collection “designed to last, made with organic cotton, and repaired for life”.
Built on a reputation of “circular design, transparency, and a long-term commitment to doing things differently”, the Repair Shop, offering “free repairs for life on every pair, no matter when or where they were first purchased”.
Repair Shops “are at the heart of Nudie Jeans’ circular model”. Customers return with their worn-in jeans for free repairs, “keeping garments in use for as long as possible”. Re-use jeans, traded in by customers for a discount on their next pair, are cleaned, restored, and resold. In 2024, Nudie Jeans reformed more than 73,000 free repairs globally “and extended the life of thousands of jeans” through its Re-use programme.
“Every Nudie Jeans Repair Shop is built on the belief that tomorrow’s vintage is created in the choices we make today. Few cities understand that better than Bristol,” said co-founder and CEO Joakim Levin.
“Park Street, with its mix of vintage shops, cafés, record stores, and students on the steep climb toward Clifton, sets the perfect stage for [our] next chapter in the UK.”
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