Photos show boarded-up windows in top shopping districts as retailers brace for Election Day fallout

Retailers are expecting Election Day to be the catalyst for civil unrest as a turbulent campaign season amid a pandemic comes to a close.

Violent protests in recent months have encouraged retailers to be prepared for anything to avoid the billions in losses that were suffered over the summer.

The past few weeks in Philadelphia have seen looting in response to the killing of Wallace, prompting the deployment of around 1,000 National Guardsmen.

Source: ABC 6 Action News

In Los Angeles, stores lining the famed Rodeo Drive will be closed and access to the street itself completely restricted.

Known for its high-end shopping experience, retailers there include Ralph Lauren, Gucci, Cartier, and Hermes. Their windows are hidden by plywood.

Police began restricting access to the street on Monday just before midnight.

Source: Hollywood Reporter

The street will remain closed until it's deemed safe to reopen, which might not be anytime soon as ballots will be counted in the days and weeks following Election Day.

Source: Hollywood Reporter

Unbreakable window glass is also in high demand but short supply, leading one supplier, Riot Glass, to turn away new clients to service existing ones.

ServiceChannel, a broker for construction work, has seen $20 million in invoices placed through its platform for work stemming from potential civil unrest concerns.

Source: Forbes

Elsewhere, snowplows and salt-spreader trucks will limit access to popular shopping areas.

Source: Bloomberg

It can cost upwards of $30,000 to fortify a storefront, depending on its size — a price not all shops can afford.

Source: Forbes

That's why some retailers are just focusing on flagship stores, like the Saks Fifth Avenue in midtown Manhattan.

To the south in SoHo, Business Insider's Steven Tweedie discovered that Louis Vuitton stores were taking to metal sheets for protection.

And unlike some of its competitors, Louis Vuitton opted for metal plates painted in its signature color.

Here's what the retailer's Michigan Avenue store in Chicago store looks like where police are trying to spread the message "Don't loot in Chicago" as "officers will take action against anyone intent on spreading chaos," USA Today reported.

Source: USA Today

The phenomenon has even spread into the outer boroughs of New York as just across the river in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Tweedie also noticed the Levi's Store boarded up.

Brand-name retailers aren't the only stores affected as small businesses are also doing their best to protect themselves.

Small business owners in New York City, for example, are debating whether to stay open or close early; to fortify or take their chances; to hide their merchandise or to leave it as is.

Source: Curbed

In Washington, DC, US government buildings surrounding the White House are also increasing their fortifications in preparation for Tuesday night.

Access to the White House has been severely restricted with a non-scalable wall partially hiding the South Lawn and iconic South Portico.