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Small World Goods' Story

Cambodia, Boy in Jungle, Angkor WatIndia, Morning Boat Ride, VaranasiMorocco, Marrakech Street Scene

Our Ethics

"Ethical" shopping is a term being thrown around a lot lately. But "ethical" means different things to different people. For us at Small World Goods, "ethical" is first and foremost about people. If people at any point of a supply chain for any product aren't treated with respect and fairness, we will not carry that product. We thoroughly vet every supply chain at SWG through personal relationships and independent investigation. We work tirelessly to maintain our standard of ethics for every product offered here.

We also strive to offer only natural and environmentally safe products to protect our Mother Earth, and note materials in product descriptions. But we freely admit that our focus is people first.

If a company speaks only of their care for the earth and materials used, with no mention of the people involved along the way, it cannot be trusted that they are treating them fairly. We are not yet at a point in this world where treating people with respect can be expected of a business. This must be clearly discussed until laws are put in place to standardize ethical business practices around the world. 

India Desert Camel Safari, Founder Photo

Our Journey

Small World Goods, originally Gadabout Goods, was founded by Bibi, a life long gadabout.
Traveling and living abroad since childhood, she dreamed of creating a business with people and crafts around the world, and working to expand opportunities for those with few. Her first big trip to India, was just after the September 11 attacks in 2001, and a very interesting time to be outside the States. What was planned to be a 2 month trip around India, got stretched into 4 months, and a few months in Istanbul, Turkey, after that. She was thoroughly smitten by both countries, and returned to India again before taking a job in Istanbul in 2003. After a year in Istanbul, Bibi took a job in Malaysia, and moved to Kuala Lumpur in 2004. This began her love affair with South East Asia, and no matter where she lived after that, she returned to South and SE Asia almost every year from then on.
Stops along the ancient Silk Road in Asia and Africa called to her, with friends and strangers always asking about the beautiful goods she brought back. Staying in touch with the artisans who made those pieces just happened naturally, and the dream of a shop providing them a broader artistic platform grew.
Moving to Austin in 2017, Bibi bought Sheila, the Truck, and created a treasure chest from the Silk Road for shoppers inside. Forced to close the truck at the start of the pandemic, Bibi joined the Caravan Co-Op with a group of fellow female entrepreneurs. Those women were fantastic friends and mentors, and inspired her to finally open her own brick and mortar shop in Austin's downtown East Side. 

Our commitment to authenticity means we have an extensive history with the places, people, and traditions that have developed these crafts. When you shop with us, you're supporting a network of artists and entrepreneurs around the world living their dreams of artistic freedom and financial independence.

Let's bring more light to this small world!

Read more about SWG on these pages:

7 Best Places to Shop in Austin

Shout Out DFW

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