Quality not quantity:

It goes without saying that getting your brands inside retail stores is critical to your success. But just as critical is getting into the right stores. Don’t focus on getting into all the stores, rather use your resources to get into the high volume stores that support your brand. The logistics, time, effort, and money involved in properly supporting the retail stores' sales efforts can become very demanding. It is much more effective to focus your efforts and promotions to increase the volume at your best performing stores than to spread yourself too thin trying to hold on to underperforming stores. Also, look for stores that have a vibe and clientel that resonates with your brand, products, price points, and story. Not everything that glitters is gold. A famous, brand name retail store might look appealing, but it also might be focused on selling its own products over yours and its location’s demographics might not fit yours. A small mom and pop store in a rough area with a loyal customer base and a staff who loves your products is much more valuable than a large, well known retail store in a high end location whose staff is focused on selling their own brands and whose customers come their specifically for their in-house brands. Know your demographics and focus on stores that cater to them. Also always get the staff on your side and make sure they try your products and get some branded merch.