NYC Mayor Says: We're Prepared for "Prolonged Protests"


WWD: NYC Stores Board Up and Take Precautions Before Election

Macy's & Bloomingdale's Flagships & Others Boarded Up in New York City

Stores in New York City have been boarded up and are taking extra precautions in preparation for potential unrest in the days surrounding Tuesday’s presidential election.

Tiffany, Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Moncler have been boarded up in SoHo, and one source said many stores in the neighborhood are in the process of doing so. Aerie and American Eagle on Lexington Avenue and 56th Street also had plywood facades on Saturday. Both were temporarily closed on Sunday. Guess, at 575 Fifth Avenue, is also boarded up, but open for business, as was its SoHo store at 537 Broadway, which has gates.

Nordstrom’s main store has frosted panes hiding the merchandise. The Plaza Hotel has partial boarding, as does Bergdorf Goodman. On Fifth Avenue, the NBA store, Vans, Best Buy, BCBG, Five Below, Sunglass Hut are all boarded up. The Timberland stores are boarded up in Herald Square and on Fifth Avenue, as is the Empire State Building.

“Out of an abundance of caution, like many businesses, we are implementing additional security measures at certain locations in the event of civil unrest due to the current election. This could include boarding or additional security personnel. As always, the safety of our customers, associates and communities, as well as the protection of our physical assets, is of utmost important,” said a spokesperson for Saks.

Certain locations, including the New York flagship, will have shortened hours, closing at 5 p.m. on Election Day.

A Macy’s spokeswoman said, “Our windows at Macy’s Herald Square were previously scheduled to be dark this week in set-up for our annual holiday displays. Out of an abundance of caution, we are implementing additional security measures at several of our stores.”

A spokesman for Tiffany said Sunday, “While we intend to remain open where possible, out of an abundance of caution the windows of select stores in key cities will be boarded in anticipation of potential election-related activity.”

A Nordstrom spokeswoman said Sunday, “Our teams are monitoring the situation in order to be prepared for any activities that might take place across the U.S. on Nov. 3 and potentially in the days following. We’re taking steps to help keep our customers safe and our stores secure. We’ll also be closing each of our U.S stores early, at 5 p.m. local time, to help ensure our customers and store employees can get home easily and make it to the polls if they need to. We plan to reopen our doors as normal on Nov. 4.“

As the presidential election approaches, the NYPD presence is also expected to be stepped up with stores warned to take precautions despite the absence of any real threats.

On his weekly WNYC broadcast, Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city is going to be prepared for “prolonged protests” and has been discussing safety protocols.

As reported, in New York City, some retailers are being reminded by their local Business Improvement Districts to remove all merchandise from street view, leave the lights on at night, lock all doors and repair any faulty video cameras. As basic as this may seem, some stores in NoHo had merchandise stolen and/or property damaged due to some of these oversights in late May and early June, said NoHo BID’s leader Cordelia Persen last month.


Article originally published on wwd.com