San Francisco’s chic Union Square might consider renaming itself Plywood Square, given the number of high-end stores now sporting boarded-up fronts.

Louis Vuitton, Giorgio Armani, Saks Fifth Avenue and Hermès — two weeks ago, a handbag could be had there for $65,000 — are just a few of the hot fashion spots whose once-showy shop windows are now covered with plywood, victims of the coronavirus shutdown.

A survey by the Union Square Business Improvement District found that 284 of the 340 businesses located in the 27-block area bordered by Bush, Kearny, Market and Taylor streets were closed. And of those, 90 have been boarded up since the shelter-in-place order was issued on March 16.

And it’s not just high-end retailers.

The Old Navy, GAP and Ross Dress for Less storefronts on Market are also covered in plywood. Morton’s Steakhouse on Post Street is boarded up, as is Sears Fine Food on Powell. Mel’s Drive-In on Mission Street went from full service, to takeout only, to closed and boarded up in the past two weeks.

“While we have not officially recommended that businesses board up, we’ve highly suggested that property owners and businesses retain a security presence if possible,” said Union Square Business Improvement District Executive Director Karin Flood.

And if that means stores boarding up as if a riot were about to break out, then so be it.

“These stores are no longer staffed, so they don’t have the monitoring they had before,” San Francisco Chamber of Commerce spokesman Jay Cheng said. “But they still have huge show windows and they need to protect themselves in case someone suddenly decides to break in or just break a window. It only takes a second.”

Oddly enough, the plywood boom comes as police are reporting a citywide drop in property crime.

Police reported a 22% drop in burglaries and a 68% drop in thefts during the first week of the shelter-in-place order.

Still “even with less people being out, there is still the chance of businesses to be victims of smash-and-grabs. So, we have asked our officers to cover those commercial areas so that we can protect the businesses that are closed,” SFPD Deputy Chief Greg McEachern said.

For many high-end businesses, securing their stores is just a good business practice, said contractor Kevin Garcia, who has worked in the Union Square area for 30 years.

“Some of these storefronts are historic, so replacing the glass in the old doors would cost a lot of money,” Garcia said, as he and a team of 10 workers boarded up the entrance to the Westfield San Francisco Centre on Market Street.

Garcia estimated the job would take about 100 sheets of plywood. Finding the right plywood, however, has become a challenge.

“I got the last 50 sheets they had at the Home Depot near my house in Antioch,” Garcia said. “At some point we are going to run out of lumber. But, for now, it’s a good business and we can use the work. All of our other jobs have been shut down.”

The plywood work has allowed Garcia to keep 10 of his 65 regular workers employed.

In keeping with their fashionable images, some of the high-end stores are putting a bit of paint on their new plywood show fronts.

Armani and Burberry have gone with basic black. Hermès’ new plywood front is beige, while Dior’s is gray and Louis Vuitton’s is orange.

The RealReal store on Post Street sports a green plywood front with a tan border and the message, “It’s time to take real care of each other.”

But a boarded-up storefront is still an attractive graffiti target, and this weekend, taggers hit the Dior store at Post and Grant.

On Monday morning, a worker from the Union Square BID was busy painting over the graffiti to match the rest of the gray front.

“It’s always something,” he said.

Down the street, another worker wearing the business district’s signature red jacket was sweeping the mostly empty sidewalk.

After all, it is still Union Square and appearances must be maintained.

Viral impact: While Union Square is one of the most visible examples of the effect the virus shutdown is having on businesses, the problem is citywide.

The Chamber of Commerce has been conducting an informal survey of its 1,000 members since the start of the pandemic, including professional services, retail, manufacturing, gyms, restaurants and bars.

Almost half (48%) of respondents said they have had to make staffing cuts since in recent weeks, and 43% of respondents said that they have closed down their business during the pandemic or have lost 100% of their sales.

“It’s going to be a long road toward economic recovery,” said Chamber CEO Rodney Fong.

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Phil Matier appears Sundays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KGO-TV morning and evening news and can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call 415-777-8815, or email pmatier@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @philmatier