Exclusivity of knitted and crochet toys

As a wholesaler of knitted and crochet toys we are used to being asked for exclusivity. Normally its not a problem as we are still a small company and our ranges are not as widely distributed as companies such as Jellicat and Anne Claire Petit. however as we grow its becoming more of an problem to us

Although we understand why stores would want exclusivity it causes us huge issues. The problem is that shops presume that if they take your range first then they have the right to have it exclusivity.

However what should we do if a shop who takes our range only buys £200 in a year? If another shop in the same area wants to place an order for £500 what should we do? Our original customer will feel that they have earnt our loyalty, but do they have the right to keep the range if their turnover is low?

We have a responsibility both to ourselves and to the workers co-operatives we work with to maximise sales. In order to provide fairly paid employment to our workers we need to sell as many toys as possible. Where should our loyalties lie - to our retailers or to our suppliers?

Exclusivity is a very emotional point and we would appreciate your comments on what you think is right and wrong on our facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Best-Years-Ltd/253202060688