NEW ORLEANS -- Visiting Le Jouet is like stepping back in time. Shelves are stocked with dinosaurs, crayons, bikes, barbies, costumes and board games, but they're also lined with some of the latest crazes that don't require the internet.
"There were several toy stores in New Orleans, Toy Center was on Washington Avenue, they were the biggest of the biggest independent toy stores," Buddy Wood, Le Jouet's Owner, said.
Wood remembers when his main competitors were local stores, before Toys "R" Us and before online services.
"I would not want to be online because it's not very personable," he said with a smile.
Despite the temptation to sell on the world wide web, Wood wants to keep it simple and is still savvy about what customers want.
All his work and planning is what he says has helped him thrive for 50 years. However, last summer, big retailer Toys "R" Us folded, and smaller stores like Wood's hoped to recruit some new customers. It appears he has.
Sales so far after the giant retailer went out of business have been up. Wood estimated the Saturday after Toys "R" Us closed, sales were double what they had been. And this Christmas season, sales are up 15 percent.
At the Magic Box toy store on Magazine in New Orleans, the owner said he compared small business Saturday sales to last year and they were markedly higher.
As for long-time shoppers like Santi Adams, she thinks there will always be a place for brick and mortars if they're as well run as Le Jouet.
"Been shopping here since my kids were little," Santi Adams said. "We value it that much, the staff is amazing."
It's still unclear if the influx of customers is a direct result of the Toys "R" Us effect at this point, but Wood says he's grateful to anyone willing to come in.
"And for those who come only once, I have to say thank you for making the effort."