The Drama of Exclusivity in Retail

Exclusivity can be a complicated part of retail—especially in a big small town  like Prince George. With 80,000 people our customer base is extensive but at the same time, we're also considered a one store town. Many brands have exclusivity policies to protect territories, so when you reach out to carry their products, it’s one of the first things they check. You’re either approved or politely told no.

I've encountered this a few times. Some cases I expected, while others surprised me—who knew there was another store here already carrying that product? That surprised me when I inquired about Jelly Cats because there are so many hidden Jelly Cat retailers in this town.

This season, I got approval to preorder Stonz. However, when I went to restock, I hit a wall. I was blocked, ghosted, and ignored for almsot two weeks by the distributor and my account manager, only to finally learn that another retailer in town had requested exclusivity.

I was clear in my initial calls that I knew of another Stonz retailer here, and they still allowed my first order. Because of this, we’re going to start to clear out some of our Stonz products.

Navigating exclusivity has been challenging, especially with an established children’s shop that’s been here for nearly 20 years. It means constantly searching for unique brands and convincing customers to try something new, which can be exhausting. I work hard to avoid duplication since I know you want variety. I figured Stonz would be okay because we already have two large shoe retailers in town, and you can find Bogs in almost every shop. Just look at the number of boot brands in the mall alone!

This is the process I use: I look at who else carries a product and whether there’s room for overlap with our customer base. That’s why we carry brands like Bibs (or try to). If I see it at London Drugs or Chapters, I consider it fair game. I was a consumer myself who shopped online to find unique, interesting products, and I know you do too. That' sometimes you're looking for choice.

Anyway, feeling a bit down today—that’s just part of the retail experience. Let me know if there are any boot brands you’d love to see here for 2025 because I’m already on the lookout for fresh ideas.