It

It
all started with a t-shirt. A Lizzy Stardust t-shirt (think
Bowie-meets-HRH). Created in celebration and commemoration of the
Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the aforementioned t-shirts (which were
banned by Buckingham Palace) were a sell out. The sought-after
stock moved quickly thanks to a mashup of sales techniques ranging
from prohibition-style exchanges to a weekend pop-up shop.
Experiencing first hand the struggle of pinning down a (very)
short-term lease to sell his royal merch, Ross Bailey – founder of
Appear Here – exposed a gap in the retail property market.

Appear Here’s mission is to create a world where anyone,
anywhere can find space to make their idea happen. “Pop-ups give
brands the opportunity to connect to a moment but move on before
the crowd gets bored.” Ultimately, they want to make “renting a
shop space as simple as booking a hotel room”. Naturally, that
caught our attention.

Since launching Appear Here in 2013, Bailey’s quick-build idea
has grown exponentially. So far, Appear Here has launched stores
for over 70 per cent of the biggest luxury brands, including
Chanel, Tommy Hilfiger and Marc Jacobs. Michele Obama opened a US
bookshop with Penguin championing female authors of colour and,
across the pond, a bookstore in London‘s Brixton opened shop to
tackle the fact that only 1 per cent of characters in children’s
books are from ethnic minorities – both ventures were made possible
by the ready-to-rent disruptor.

Where are you from and how has that shaped or inspired
you?

I grew up in the countryside in a small village near
Buckinghamshire, which gave me the best of both London (an hour
away) and the countryside. Now that I spend all my time travelling
between London, Paris and New York, I need a countryside-fix
to switch off.

Half my family are from Jamaica and the other half are from East
London. This background has made me more aware of the importance of
diversity in our cities and how powerful it is.

What is the concept behind Appear Here?

Appear Here’s mission is to create a world in which anyone,
anywhere can find space to make their idea happen. By listing a
global network of available space online and giving people access
for flexible periods, we’re democratising retail. We started with
one small shop in Soho; today we list thousands of spaces in some
of the world’s best retail destinations, from the Marais to Madison
Avenue. Whether you’re a major global brand or a kid with an idea,
you have the same access to these spaces through Appear Here.

The Queen was a source of inspiration; tell us more…

In 2012, my best friend and I came up with the idea of launching
a brand called Rock & Rule to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond
Jubilee. We designed these “Lizzy Stardust” t-shirts featuring the
Queen with a Bowie stripe through her face. What we wanted was a
store to be part of the moment. After several days of begging
landlords, we managed to take over an empty store for the weekend.
I couldn’t understand why this wasn’t something you could just do,
with so many empty spaces all over London. Despite the t-shirts
being banned by Buckingham Palace (which is another story), the
store ended up selling out. We had people queueing outside to get
their hands on our illicit Jubilee merch – I ended up selling them
prohibition-style in brown paper bags.

Looking back on the experience, I realised two things. The
first: how difficult it was to get access to space. The second was
that offline was still relevant. Stores aren’t just about buying
and consumption; they are about creating a moment and connecting. A
year later I started playing around with the idea of Appear
Here.

But Appear Here is not a Britain-centric brand, correct?

No, from day one we set out to build a global network of the
best spaces in the world. We have offices in London, Paris and New
York, and a global community of over 200,000+ brands. Over the next
12 months, we’ll be expanding to new cities.

How does it all work? Say we’re a brand who wants to rent a
space… what are the next steps?

We want to make it as simple as booking a hotel room. Before, if
you wanted to rent a shop, it would take you on average
three-to-six months. You’d be expected to commit to that space for
a minimum of five years and have the rent upfront, which could be
several million. Appear Here makes those same spaces available to
book simply online, for whatever duration you need.

We’ve invested in creating standardised legals, online payments
and have a dedicated service team with a personal concierge to
guide you through the process – we believe the people who are
making their ideas happen deserve the same level of service as in a
five-star hotel.

What brands/ prominent people are using/ have used Appear
Here?

We’ve launched stores for over 70 per cent of the biggest luxury
brands, including the likes of Chanel, Tommy Hilfiger and Marc
Jacobs. We also had hundreds of celebrities launch stores with us
including Kanye West, Gwyneth Paltrow, Stormzy, Jamie XX and
Michele Obama, as well as leading brands such as Apple, Supreme,
Nike, Netflix and Google.

Often the best and most creative stores come from the artists on
our platform who reimagine what retail can be. A guy in New York
installed a grand piano in a 5,000sq ft space and played Bach
solidly every day for a month!

Best areas for rental spaces in London…?

It completely depends on your audience. The best neighbourhoods
are ones such as Hackney or Peckham which have an identity, and are
filled with independents who take pride in their craft.

And New York…?

Some of our most popular areas on Appear Here are SoHo, Tribeca
and the Lower East Side. Red Hook is also one to watch; it’s become
a real destination on the weekends.

Can you share some success stories with us…

My favourite ideas are the ones that have the power to shape our
world for the better. We had a bookshop called Knights Of in
Brixton that wanted to tackle the fact that only 1 per cent of
characters in children’s books are from ethnic minorities. It
smashed its crowdfunding goal and now has a permanent store.

We also worked with a Syrian refugee, Imad Alarnab. In Syria his
successful restaurant business had been destroyed by the war. Our
team rebuilt it in London. We found a space on Columbia Road and
called it Imad’s Syrian Kitchen. When we put the tickets live we
were terrified no one would come, but they sold out within 24
hours. Last year Imad was named one of Evening Standard’s most
influential Londoners for changing the perception of what it means
to be a refugee. It shows just how powerful an idea can be.

You’re active in Paris, London and New York. What are your
favourite spots to eat/ drink/ shop/ stay in each city?

New York

The best place to stay in New York is The Bowery. It’s my second
home. I love 12 Chairs Café, an Israeli restaurant, and
Lucien, a French eatery great for a fun dinner before
going out. To drink, there’s nothing better than sitting outside
Sant Ambroeus in SoHo.

Paris

I always try and stay at the Grand Pigalle Hotel, in its
top-floor room. For cocktails, Le
Syndicat, or Silencio – the only night club I
ever go to. For lunch, Marcello does the best Italian;
for dinner, Daroco or, for a more casual meal, Carbon in the Marais.

London

I don’t need hotels; my home is in East London. I eat at my local,
Bright, in Hackney – it’s one of the best
restaurants in London right now – or in the courtyard of Luca.
For a classic British Sunday roast, I love The
Hunter S or The Empress. Depending your vibe, for drinks I
would go to either Three Sheets in Dalston or Chiltern Firehouse.

Aforementioned cities aside, what are some of your other
favourite cities and why?

It’s not a city, but the north of Ibiza
is a really special place for me. I’ve had so many major moments on
that island; it’s my lucky place. I love LA
right now, too. In the last twelve months it’s been through a lot
of changes; the creative energy is infectious.

What is the allure of the pop-up shop?

Pop-ups give brands the opportunity to connect to a moment but
move on before the crowd gets bored. In an era defined not by what
we buy but what we experience, the pop-up is an incredibly powerful
platform. Those who experience them have the kudos of being able to
say: “I was there, weren’t you?”

How has the high street changed, and how might it continue to
change?

The high street needs to go back to the birthplace of retail:
Agoras in Ancient Greece. Agoras literally translates as “gathering
place”; people came from around the world to sell their wares and
share ideas. Somewhere along the way, the high street became too
focused on selling. Retailers must accept that the high street
cannot compete with the convenience of online, and instead focus on
what online cannot do so well: bringing people together.

There seems to be a shift back towards brick-and-mortar stores
of late. Why?

There’s technology fatigue, especially amongst millennials and
Gen Z. Adverts and online content are often impersonal or annoying.
People crave engagement and physical connection.

A tagline of yours reads: “as easy as booking a hotel room”.
With that in mind, what hotels to you book into again and
again?

There are four hotels I love and would book again and again:
The Bowery Hotel in New York,
Maçakizi in Bodrum, Hacienda de San Rafael in
Seville and Los Enamorados, Ibiza.

What makes a good hotel?

A quiet room and a lively front of house. When you walk in they
treat you like a long-lost friend. My favourite hotels are all
independent. They’re run by people who are obsessed with detail;
extra touches make them a home away from home.

What are you reading at the moment?

I am currently on lasts pages of Who is Michael Ovitz? by
Michael Ovitz. My next book is Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon
Chouinard, founder of Patagonia.

What would you do to improve airports?

I’m that person who always leaves it to the last minute to catch
my flight. A great airport to me is the fastest to get through,
with the least amount of walking. To improve, I think there needs
to be better shops. Most airports are like a giant advert of bling
– or a sea of tat.

Travel is such an inspirational and fulfilling experience. It
baffles me that the start and end of every journey are still so
depressing. Airports need to bring more meaningful moments inside
the terminal.

And finally, what’s in your SUITCASE?

I only ever travel with hand luggage. Last year I clocked up
more than 40 fights so I can’t deal with waiting for the bag after
landing or the anxiety of losing it. I always pack pyjamas, trunks
and a pair of trainers, as well as an iPad with the latest movies
or series downloaded.

As I travel so much, the immune system can take a bit of a
hammering. I always have a large bag of vitamins with me, which
also gives me half a chance of dealing with jet
lag.