What is the future of the mystery shopping industry?

With the retail apocalypse going on and many retail stores closing or going digital only what is the future of the industry? Will mystery shopping go away? Or will payment for shops go down since there will be less of a need? With the rise of online review sites like yelp and google many business' no longer need or use mystery shopping since they get a wealth of information on those sites.

All you hear about lately is stores and restaurants shuttering, banks closing branches, etc so it has me concerned

Opinions?

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There is a lot more to mystery shopping than retail stores..... There is really only one retail shop I do anymore - I do about three different locations every two or three months.

Apartments, new homes, convenience stores, gas stations (until we are nearly 100% electric), cell phones, casinos, hotels, car sales, parking, car services, family entertainment, cruises, etc. are all going strong. Plus, as more and more retail goes online, we’ll likely see more online mystery shops.

Hard work builds character and homework is good for your soul.

I have thought about this as well. I only do a few retail shops as I mainly stick to restaurants and gas stations but I think there will always be a need for shoppers even if it’s just online shops etc.

The vast majority of what we do is evaluating service and salesmanship. Until we all are driving electric vehicles there will need to be gas stations, though their numbers may decline. We are still going to want to pick up a cup of coffee or get our car washed or deal with a bank/banker or go out to dinner or see what is available for cell phones. Literally one door closes and another opens. Sixteen years ago there was little call for online evaluations, yet I do a fair number of them now. Sixteen years ago there was no evaluation of home delivery of goods or foods. I almost haven't gone face-to-face with a banker that wasn't a shop in six or seven years, though they are still sitting behind their desks to open accounts, arrange loans, try to sell you on their financial services, etc. I certainly can't see myself buying a car from a vending machine on Carvana or whatever the place is called. I want to sit in it, test drive it, haggle the price in person and get them to throw in the floor mats.

So no, mystery shopping is not going to just fade away.

Agreed with flash...not fade away. Evolve.

As gas stations become less relevant, there will be a need for them to be attractive to consumers on other ways. I'm definitely spending more time/money getting car washes than fuel at my local station now that I have the option of going electric for local trips.

I had a "hotel style" shop last month where I never personally interacted with anyone. It was all email, text and phone interactions.

Apps have taken over. Quicker. No paperwork. Low pay.

The future of MSing is video. When more MSCs realize it and start offering it, and when more clients realize that they can leverage their MS budget by using video for training purposes, there will be no going back. There will still be non-video, and phone, and web shops, but at some point there has to be a big wave in the direction of video. I can't believe the industry isn't already further along the road.

I tend to agree with you, panama, but it might take a long time, as video is likely an expensive option for most MSCs (though a much better and accurate option).

The online review sites and the surveys are easily manipulated, and they are subjective, not objective like a mystery shop. The typical restaurant or retail shop provides valuable information on customer service skills, as well as compliance with company policies; information that won't often be found on the review sites. Banks, apartments and time shares have to be evaluated for compliance with numerous laws, which will not even be thought of by the typical online reviewer. Gas stations, liquor stores, tobacco stores and other retailers will always need shopped for compliance with federal, state and local laws.

I think there will always be a need for mystery shops, but the fees are certainly no longer in line with the value of the shops. It's a shame that, as shoppers' fees go lower, the shops are going to people who are willing to sell their time for a few dollars an hour. The quality of the shops suffer, so the clients don't see the value in them. It's a sad downward spiral.

Video: As long as many states remain "two party consent," there will be a limit in the number of video shops. Yes, employers can have every working sign a waiver, but many larger employers will not trust that every single local manager will be good about getting it done, and put them at risk for being sued, so they will decide at the corporate level not to do video..... On another note, I suspect that some clients find a lot of value in the quick, cheap cellphone shops where they get a quick glimpse at what is going on at their stores without having to undergo the huge expense of ordering thousands upon thousands of video shops. I do think video will continue to grown in industries such as apartment management and sales (new home, cars, etc.) where it can be used for real training that leads to better salesmanship and more successfully salesmen.

Hard work builds character and homework is good for your soul.

I can see how an industry can use a video shop in order to have some good ideas of what to include in a training video but even though an employee may have to sign a form that says they understand they may be video taped I cannot imagine it would then be legal for the company to turn around and use the image of an employee who consented to be video taped on a training film that is shown far and wide.
I have seen many more online shops in the past two years than ever before and I do believe the industry will change as to what is available but checking on service standards, whether it be in person, phone, online in an objective way ,as opposed to surveys on a receipt or website that either get mostly complaints (website) or someone just checking boxes to get their $2 off coupon are not at all objective or representative of the average experience of a customer. So we will still be needed but our jobs may change. Fees may go up or down. A lot may depend on legislation and supply and demand of jobs.

As long as people are greedy and try to steal money, I'll be busy. I prefer integrity shops. Pay is great. Reports are relevant. I don't have to report on decor, lighting, bathrooms, etc. No video for me.

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