Over the last few days, I've come across reports that many businesses have opted to board up their shops amid fears of looting and destruction.
Bridge Michigan reported that it spoke to several businesses in Kalamazoo, Michigan that boarded up. So did businesses in Greensboro, Los Angeles, Boston, Milwaukee, Chicago, and most certainly many others. OregonLive reports that Portland, Oregon, is a "city of plywood."
I don't have data on it yet, but I expect big sellers of plywood, like Home Depot and Lowe's, to see its sales rise over the coming days. During fears of Hurricane Florence in late 2018, both retailers saw their sales rise considerably. Home Depot saw its shares hit an all-time high, rising two percent right when fears peaked. Roofing supplier Beacon saw its shares rise 7.3 percent, while Louisiana-Pacific and regional construction company Fluor saw a 1 percent rise.
New Jersey-based lumber supplier Ritten Lumber released a guide to boarding up a building.
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