Appear Here founder Ross Bailey opened the business in the UK capital four years ago, securing deals with UK landlords to get the company up and running. Now, over 80,000 brands globally use the pop-up marketplace to showcase products and ideas.
Kanye West even used the service for his Life of Pablo product launch, which tied in with his album of the same name, at an Old Street pop-up space.
With offices in London and Paris, Bailey now has high hopes that Appear Here will conquer the US with a New York opening.
Bailey said: “More than ever, designers, brands and entrepreneurs are realising that renting space online is the fastest and most flexible approach to retail.
“We’re excited about the opportunity to bring our award-winning platform and service to the US, starting with New York.”
The Big Apple operation has secured deals with property firms Blackstone, Simon Property Group and Brookfield, which will provide Appear Here access to space for pop-ups in areas including Chelsea, West Village, Soho, Nolita and Williamsburg.
The service claims to be “as easy as booking a hotel”. Companies that use Appear Here receive a personal concierge, while the editorial team offers a location guide to help them select space. Meanwhile, landlords can monitor demand in real-time.
Appear Here will secure businesses space in three to six days, while half of March bookings were achieved in 48 hours. By comparison, bookings in New York generally take an average of three to six months.
In addition to working with celebrities like West, Appear Here provides space for small businesses as well as household brand names including Apple, Nike, Google and Chanel.
An example of the pop-up champion bringing both business worlds together was demonstrated as it teamed with Topshop-Topman on Oxford Street to provide small independent brands with retail space.
Zachary Beloff, director of business development at Simon Property Group, said: “Simon’s high visibility, upscale centers in the New York area provide the ideal backdrop to test new concepts.
“We believe that Appear Here’s unique product and community of forward thinking international retailers, new brands, makers and independents will benefit from our highly engaged audiences who seek out and avidly consume interesting experiences.”
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