The 2020 election is shaping up to be an unprecedented event, with projected record-breaking voter turnout amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
For business owners in several major American cities, the possibility of civil unrest associated with election results has left them preparing for potential chaos, from boarding up windows to preemptively limiting their hours of operation.
From high-end retailers on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills to the Macy’s flagship store in New York City, business owners are bracing themselves for trouble, while only blocks from the White House, Washington, D.C. stores and restaurants have had plywood-covered doors and windows for days, reports the Washington Post.
In Chicago, the city has “pre-staged” vehicles like snowplows and salt trucks to act as barriers if certain areas need to be shut down. Adam Skaf, a spokesman for the Magnificent Mile Association, shared that the group has coordinated with police to create “long-term security strategies” for the ritzy shopping district.
Stephanie Martz, the chief administrative officer and general counsel of the National Retail Federation said that “you don’t necessarily want to send the message that you’re closed for business. But on the other hand, you’ve got to keep your employees safe, you’ve got to keep your customers safe.”
Some retailers, like Neiman Marcus, will close their stores early on Election Day, while others like J. Crew and Madewell have closed up shop entirely or given their employees paid time off to cast their votes.
Nicole Schoenberg, a spokeswoman for Saks Fifth Avenue, said in a statement that “the safety of our customers, associates, and communities, as well as the protection of our physical assets, is of utmost importance.”
A volatile summer of protests across the country sparked by the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died in police custody after an officer kneeled on his neck while Floyd pleaded for his life, resulted in retailers like Target temporarily closing locations after stores were burned, broken into, or looted.
Estimates from the Insurance Information Institute indicate that in 2020, retailers have already suffered around $1 billion in insured losses in theft and property damage. Those losses are in addition to financial difficulties associated with the coronavirus pandemic, which led to a slew of store shutdowns across the country, and more than a dozen major retailers filing for bankruptcy.
Ali Khan, who works at a Washington, D.C. liquor store in the downtown area of the capital city, told the Associated Press that thousands of dollars in merchandise were stolen from the store during the June protests. “They smashed the windows and just walked out with everything.” The store is now barricaded ahead of the election. “We have to be ready,” said Khan.
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