Retailers Prepare For Civil Unrest; Boarded-Up Stores Seen From SoHo To Beverly Hills

High-end stores across the country have been boarding up their stores in anticipation of civil unrest due to the Chinese coronavirus pandemic.

In Beverly Hills, the Pottery Barn and West Elm stores near Rodeo Drive were spotted with boards across the windows according to TMZ.

Meanwhile, stores in New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, Paris, Vancouver and elsewhere were similarly boarded up.

The “Magnificent Mile” in Chicago today. It looks like Chile in November. All fancy stores boarded up. Are they afraid of #Covid19 or of something else? @DMatamala pic.twitter.com/Ag2SU2iJ2a

— Zingales (@zingales) March 29, 2020

Pausing Luxury | NY SoHo boutiques boarded up as #COVID19 cases surge

MORE: https://t.co/IxojbpzbvY pic.twitter.com/8YzStWFzyQ

— RT (@RT_com) March 29, 2020

SF boarded up 👌🏻 pic.twitter.com/skOLQyUuTB

— David Politi (@davidrpoliti) March 30, 2020

San Francisco looks like a town expecting a Hurricane, with storefronts boarded up, and people lining up at stores, while others wander around without any apparent destination or plan, as if propelled by Brownian motion.

Everyone is waiting for Hurricane Covid-19 to crest. pic.twitter.com/XseFzhSuts

— 🆘 Save Our #SOMA 🆘 (@EsmeAlaki) March 30, 2020

Sad sight of a restaurant being boarded up in Canterbury. pic.twitter.com/oj05FbCWc9

— Simon Jones (@SimonJonesNews) March 30, 2020

#apocalipse 2020 @Hermes_Paris @Graff @Prada boarded up pic.twitter.com/zIeiwGOMVZ

— ❌🌍SUBWAH (@QZomar) March 29, 2020

Couple of @ThePlazaKC stores now boarded up during the shelter in place order pic.twitter.com/qq77n7JE9Q

— Joyce Smith (@JoyceKC) March 30, 2020

Thanks, China.