The Marais BHV in Paris threatened with a water cut after unpaid bills

Could the famous Parisian department store find itself deprived of water? The Paris Water Authority, in charge of supply in the capital, sent a water closure notice to BHV Marais. On the poster, posted at the entrance to the store and a photo of which was sent to Le Parisien, the water union indicates that the connection will be closed “at the end of March 2026”, due to unpaid bills.

According to our information, the poster was removed during the day. Sources tell BFM Business that the supplier of hygienic products stopped its deliveries of toilet paper for several days a few weeks ago, for the same reason of unpaid invoices. Information that the BHV, contacted by Le Parisien, was not able to confirm. The department store assures us, however, that the water is still flowing and “will continue to flow at the BHV”.

Shops suffocated by unpaid debts

For several months the Town Hall Bazaar has been accumulating unpaid bills. Several SMEs based at BHV indicated to Le Parisien in November that they had been forced due to payment delays to lay off employees to maintain their activity within the department store on rue de Rivoli.

The latter’s walls were bought in January by the North American asset manager Brookfield Asset Management, while the BHV has been in great difficulty for several months.

Several major brands, including Dior, Guerlain and Chanel, have left the BHV to protect their reputation, faced with the controversial arrival of Chinese e-commerce giant Shein. At the end of February, the fast fashion brand moved into five other provincial department stores belonging to BHV.