response, the nationalistic impulses unleashed by the attacks have flowed into different channels from the ones 14 years ago. The American backlash has taken on a wildly xenophobic character this time around. Despite the fact that the Paris attacks were not carried out by Syrian refugees, that France itself vowed to continue its refugee program following the attacks, and that the United States was taking a fraction of the exiles that its (much smaller) European allies were, American fears settled on the possibility that refugees might replicate the horrors of Paris on American soil.

In theory, ISIS could certainly plant terrorists among refugees. In practice, refugees undergo a screening process that lasts an average of two years, and officials dismiss the risk as minimal. Anne C. Richard, the assistantmalls, and the company plans to open up to 115 stores that are mostly in stand-alone, nonmall locations. The company said it was too early to say whether any Bay Area locations will close. There is a Kay Jewelers in most Bay Area malls, according to the company’s website.

Tech-savvy Bay Area residents have become particularly inclined to shop online instead of in stores. According to research about holiday shopping from Deloitte, the percentage of Bay Area shoppers who planned to make a purchase online was higher than the national average, with many people indicating they did not want to face crowds or wait in long lines last holiday season.

But other factors are impacting retail, including politics, said Garrick Brown, vice president of retail research at Cushman and Wakefield.