Holiday shoppers are facing their first season without Toys R Us. And many independent toy stores are reaping the benefits.
"Customers say they don't really know where else to go," said Lily Kipper, owner of Kip's Toyland in the Fairfax neighborhood. "People go on Yelp and look for a toy store, and there's not many left."
Of course, you could always turn to Amazon. And many people do. But Amazon doesn't let you touch before you buy.
"You can bring your kids in here and let them play with the toys and see what they're interested in," said Miracle Mile Toy Hall owner Carrie Harr, who has seen a 30 percent increase in sales so far this holiday season.
Shopper Christine Meyer said she likes walking around toy stores to get ideas. When we met her at Kip's Toyland earlier this week, she pulled out a small, plastic basketball hoop from her bag, before saying, "I hadn't planned on necessarily getting this, but when I saw it I thought, 'Oh, that's right!'"
Are you looking for inspiration on what to get the kids in your life this holiday season? Here are some toy stores to check out:
DOWNTOWN
501 E. 4th St., Downtown
750 W. 7th St., Downtown
343-345 Wall St., Downtown
CENTRAL
5464 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire
140 & 144 N. Larchmont Blvd., Windsor Square
6333 W. 3rd St., Suite 720, Fairfax
7301 Melrose Ave., Fairfax
WESTSIDE
437 N. Beverly Dr., Beverly Hills
130 S. Barrington Pl., Brentwood
2010 Lincoln Blvd., Venice
1220 5th St., Santa Monica
1413 3rd St. Promenade, Santa Monica
SAN FERNANDO VALLEY
16101 Ventura Blvd. #135, Encino
We're positive we've missed some good ones. If you've got suggestions, leave them in the comments below or tweet at us.
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