Looking for a truly unique shopping experience? Stop by Global Gifts, a fair trade store in downtown Wayne, Pa for all the fair trade merchandise you can ask for.
Everything in this store is handmade by men and women in developing countries around the world. Items range from candles, pottery, pillows, scarves, statuettes and wall hangings. Whether you are looking for a gift or something for your house or dorm, you can definitely find something cool here!
“I bought a few really cute things for my dorm room there,” sophomore Danielle Gannon said.
Global Gifts sells distinct items that cannot be found just anywhere. After entering the store it becomes apparent that you have entered a place that is different than most. The shelves of Global Gifts are filled with items rich in culture.
A majority of the items in the store come from developing areas around the world including communities in Haiti, Bangladesh, India, Africa, South and Central America. Merchandise from about 30 different developing communities can be found in the store at any given time.
Students at Cabrini can enjoy having a store that sells fair trade items so close by. “I like buying natural and handmade things. A lot of fair trade things are handmade and difficult to find. So I love going to Global Gifts and finding fun things,” sophomore Delany Hoffman said.
Rosemary Smith, owner of Global Gifts, has been supplying the Main Line with unique fair trade gifts for the past 12 years. “I receive great joy from running this store because I feel like I am making an impact in the world,” Smith said.
Smith wants to give the citizens of Wayne and the surrounding towns an opportunity to buy items that will benefit developing communities. They then can feel like they are making a difference in the world too.
“We take things in life for granted, like clean water. People are struggling,” Smith said.
Fair trade is a movement that connects producers in developing countries with consumers in wealthy countries. It promotes sustainability and fair profits for producers. These businesses help the developing communities prosper through the trading of handmade and farm-grown goods.
“It’s a form of trade as opposed to aid,” Smith said.
Smith not only supplies fair trade items, she also provides customers with a unique and personal shopping experience. When customers enter Global Gifts they are welcomed with a warm, friendly, “hello,” and leave with a unique gift, packaged and tied with a ribbon. Not only does she want her customers to feel that they are shopping in a positive environment, she wants them to feel like they can “keep coming back and buying and finding something interesting.”
Global Gifts is open five days a week, Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Global Gifts
610-964-7930
111 S. Wayne Ave
Wayne, Pa.
