Can boutique owners get exclusivity from wholesale suppliers for certain designs?

Exclusivity arrangements — where a supplier agrees not to sell a specific design to other buyers in your local area or market — are possible but have important conditions attached:

When exclusivity is possible:

• You are ordering a large quantity (typically a full factory run of that design — often 100–500+ pieces)
• You have a long-standing trusted relationship with the supplier
• The design is custom-made for you specifically (private label/indent order)

When exclusivity is NOT typically available:

• Standard catalog designs — these are sold to hundreds of buyers nationally
• Small orders (1–2 catalog sets)
• First-time buyers

Alternative: Instead of design exclusivity, focus on curation exclusivity — stock combinations, styling, and service that your local competitors don't replicate, even if they carry the same base product.