How to conduct competitor store visit analysis: a practical guide for retail teams
Retail store competitor checks can be a game-changer for retail teams. While competitors may already be observing your operations, flipping the script and learning from their successes and mistakes can give you a competitive edge.
This isn’t about copying or stealing products — it’s about gathering insights to refine your own strategy. By structuring your visits and acting on what you learn, you can enhance customer experience, optimise operations, and stay ahead of market trends.
This guide outlines a step-by-step approach to conducting competitor visits, from preparation to implementation, so you can turn observations into meaningful improvements that drive real business impact.
The importance of competitor visits
Market intelligence
Regular competitor visits help uncover emerging industry trends, customer preferences, and potential opportunities. By keeping an eye on what’s changing, you can stay proactive rather than reactive. Observing how competitors evolve their offerings can provide invaluable insight into shifts in consumer behaviour and market dynamics, helping you stay ahead of the curve.
Competitor visits also offer a chance to assess how external factors — such as economic trends, seasonal fluctuations, and industry regulations — affect your market. By monitoring how different brands respond to these challenges, you can adapt your approach and anticipate future shifts.
Benchmarking
Comparing your store’s performance against competitors highlights both strengths and weaknesses. Understanding where they excel (or fall short) allows you to refine your approach.
By systematically analysing different competitors, you can establish benchmarks for critical areas such as pricing strategies, visual merchandising effectiveness, and customer engagement. These benchmarks provide tangible reference points for internal performance reviews and strategic decision-making.
Beyond operational benchmarking, competitor visits can reveal customer perceptions of value and service quality. Do customers respond positively to a competitor’s loyalty programme? Are they more engaged due to interactive in-store experiences? These insights help you pinpoint areas for enhancement.
Strategy refinement
The insights gained from retail competitor analysis can lead to tangible adjustments in key areas such as customer service, store layout, product offerings, and technology. A strong competitor analysis process ensures that your business remains dynamic and responsive rather than stagnant or complacent.
By learning from others, you can improve your unique selling proposition (USP) and tailor your strategies to strengthen competitive advantages while mitigating weaknesses. Taking a data-driven approach to competitor visits allows you to prioritise the most impactful changes, whether it's adjusting pricing structures, improving staff training, or investing in digital solutions.
Preparing for a competitor visit
Set clear objectives
Before stepping into a competitor’s store, define what you want to learn. Your focus could include:
Customer service standards
Store layout and merchandising
Pricing and promotional tactics
Technology and checkout efficiency
Staffing levels and engagement strategies
Competitor strengths and weaknesses
Differentiation opportunities
Having clear key performance indicators (KPIs) ensures that your observations are measurable and actionable.
Instead of making general observations, set specific questions or hypotheses to test, such as: How do competitors manage queue times? Are they leveraging in-store digital tools effectively?
Who should conduct competitor visits?
Different levels of your organisation can provide unique insights when conducting competitor visits:
Regional managers – Offer a broad view of competitor performance across multiple locations, identifying larger trends and best practices.
Store managers – Provide operational insights by comparing day-to-day efficiencies, customer service, and staff engagement.
Head office teams (e.g., Operations, L&D, or Marketing) – Focus on brand positioning, customer engagement strategies, and long-term competitive trends.
Mystery shoppers or external auditors – Provide unbiased evaluations and a customer’s perspective on competitor strengths and weaknesses.
Frequency and planning
Decide how often visits should be conducted based on business needs:
Daily or weekly – For high-turnover industries or competitive locations where frequent changes occur.
Monthly or quarterly – For broader trend analysis and strategic planning.
Annual deep dives – For assessing major shifts in strategy or large-scale industry trends.
Assign team members specific areas to focus on and rotate responsibilities to ensure fresh perspectives. Creating a structured competitor analysis calendar ensures consistency and prevents key insights from being overlooked.
Pre-visit research
Gather background information on competitor brands, recent promotions, and store changes. Creating a checklist or template standardises observations and makes data collection more efficient.
Use online resources such as Google Reviews, Trustpilot, or sentiment analysis platforms like Brandwatch to get an initial idea of customer sentiment before visiting in person. This preparation can help you refine your focus areas and identify specific elements to scrutinise.
Engaging with customers through surveys or focus groups before a competitor visit can also provide insight into what shoppers value most. Knowing what customers appreciate — or dislike — about your competitors can help fine-tune your evaluation process.
What to evaluate during the visit
Staffing and operational efficiency
How many staff members are on the floor at different times of the day?
Are they well-positioned to handle peak periods and fluctuations in foot traffic?
How do their staffing levels compare to yours, and how does it impact customer service?
Are staff well-trained, knowledgeable, and empowered to handle customer queries efficiently?
Is there a clear leadership presence, such as managers actively engaging with staff and customers?
Do employees have clear roles and responsibilities?
Customer service
Were you greeted upon entry, and how did the staff make you feel?
How proactive is their staff in assisting customers—do they approach or wait to be approached?
Are they engaging, friendly, and knowledgeable about products and services?
Do they upsell or cross-sell effectively, and how naturally does it integrate into conversations?
How do they handle complaints or difficult customer interactions?
Are there personalisation efforts, such as remembering returning customers or offering tailored recommendations?
Do they use technology (e.g., CRM systems, loyalty apps) to enhance the customer experience?
Store layout and visual merchandising
How is the store organised for easy navigation and intuitive customer flow?
Are best-selling items strategically placed in high-traffic areas?
How effective is their signage and in-store marketing in guiding customers?
Are promotional displays visually compelling, and do they align with current campaigns?
Do they use sensory marketing elements, such as music, lighting, or scents, to enhance the shopping experience?
Are there seasonal or thematic changes in store design that keep the environment fresh?
Are there interactive displays or experiential marketing elements?
Data collection and analysis
Using cloud-based store visit apps like Ocasta Review can streamline data collection and allow for real-time updates from multiple team members. Ocasta Review’s real-time reporting and automated task assignment features ensure that insights are captured instantly and translated into actionable improvements without delays.
Comparing data across multiple competitor visits allows teams to spot patterns over time. Are certain retailers consistently outperforming in specific areas? Do customer engagement strategies evolve seasonally? Building a data-rich competitor analysis framework enables more strategic decision-making.
Turning insights into action
Schedule follow-up visits within three months to assess whether changes are making an impact and adjust strategies as needed. Continual competitor analysis ensures that your business remains adaptable and competitive.
Encourage your team to conduct regular retail store competitor checks, integrate findings into strategic reviews, and foster a culture of ongoing improvement. Staying competitive isn’t just about keeping up — it’s about consistently learning and evolving to offer the best experience for your customers.
With the right approach and tools like Ocasta Review, you can ensure competitor insights translate into meaningful improvements that drive business growth and success.
