Plexiglass becomes a hot commodity during coronavirus pandemic

Here's more proof that plexiglass is one of the hottest commodities of the coronavirus pandemic: A word that was almost never mentioned is popping up in corporate earnings calls and company press releases.

What's going on: Plexiglass is the must-have partition for places around the world doing business in the COVID-19 era — restaurants, grocery stores handing out free samples, casinos, even possibly schools (once students return).

• And ... Google searches for "plexiglass" peaked in mid-May, as businesses across the country readied to reopen.
• The brand name, Plexiglas, didn't get nearly the same attention.

The state of play: Take Dollar Tree, for instance — which late last month told analysts it installed more than 16,000 plexiglass shields at store checkouts.