What Chain Store Guide does

Chain Store Guide (CSG) is a privately held B2B data and intelligence provider founded in 1933 and headquartered in Tampa, Florida. The company specializes in the retail and restaurant industries, operating two core product lines: CSG LeadSearch™, a suite of verified decision-maker contact databases covering 61,288 companies, 213,029 decision-makers, 94,076 triple-verified emails, and 109,442 LinkedIn handles; and Store Locations & Market Intelligence, which tracks 700,000+ physical retail and restaurant locations with 16+ years of historical data, daily updates, and a claimed 97.6% locational accuracy rating. Its proprietary technology stack includes the CSG Verify algorithm suite for daily monitoring of job changes and leadership transitions, a triple-email verification process with human researcher validation, and the Locus Process for geographic data accuracy. Data is collected via in-house primary research—phone, fax, mail, and email verification—rather than automated scraping.

The company generates revenue primarily through annual subscription-based access to its databases, with auto-renewal processed via PayPal and pricing ranging from approximately $1,100 to $11,500 per database per year depending on scope and depth. Its go-to-market combines direct sales through two regionally assigned account managers covering the U.S. and Canada, an inside sales phone support function, and a self-serve online portal with a 48-hour free trial offering. Customer segments include manufacturers and suppliers (CPG and food/beverage companies), B2B sales teams and marketers, franchisors and franchisees, commercial real estate professionals, recruiters, and industry analysts. The product portfolio extends beyond core databases to include specialized personnel lists (HR, Technology, Real Estate), LocationIQ sub-products for specific verticals (supermarket, restaurant, drug store, discount/general merchandise), market share analytics, and custom research and forecasting services. Distribution is U.S. and Canada only, with no disclosed international expansion.

Name

Chain Store Guide

Legal name

Chain Store Guides LLC

Website

https://chainstoreguide.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1933

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chain Store Guide is a privately held B2B data provider founded in 1933 that supplies verified decision-maker contact databases and store location intelligence to manufacturers, sales teams, franchisors, and commercial real estate professionals in the U.S. and Canadian retail and restaurant industries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Contact Data and Market Intelligence

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910)

SIC

Services-Direct Mail Advertising Services (7331)

akta.pro primary industry

Marketing Database & Contact Data Providers (B2B/B2C Lists) (BPAFAKAF)

Keywords

• Retail contact databases
• Store location intelligence
• B2B sales leads
• Decision-maker contacts
• Market share analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Tampa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Database Subscriptions: Annual subscription-based access to online databases containing decision-maker contact information, company profiles, and store location data. All purchases automatically renew one year from purchase date and are processed through PayPal. Subscriptions include unlimited access during the subscription period.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Chain Store Guide sells subscription-based B2B contact databases and store location intelligence targeted at sales, marketing, real estate, and research professionals serving the U.S. and Canadian retail and restaurant industries. Its CSG LeadSearch™ product line delivers triple-verified decision-maker contacts (emails, phone numbers, LinkedIn profiles) across 61,288 companies and 213,029 contacts, while its LocationIQ product line delivers geospatial and operational data on 700,000+ store locations with daily updates and 97.6% locational accuracy.

Product overview

Chain Store Guide offers two distinct core product lines: CSG LeadSearch™ Contact Databases providing verified decision-maker contact information (61,288 companies, 213,029 decision-makers, 94,076 verified emails, 109,442 LinkedIn handles) and Store Locations & Market Intelligence covering 700,000+ retail and restaurant locations with 16+ years of historical data and daily updates at 97.6% accuracy. These are complemented by specialized database modules including Elite LeadSearch™ for maximum coverage, various industry-specific LeadSearch™ databases (grocery, restaurant, chain tenants), LocationIQ products for store location intelligence (Restaurant LocationIQ with 234,000+ locations, Supermarket LocationIQ with 44,306 locations, Drug Store LocationIQ with 32,619 locations, Discount/General Merchandise LocationIQ with 47,316 locations), market share analysis products (Drug Market Share Online, Grocery Market Share Online), and custom services (Custom Databases, Forecasting Services, Market Research, Custom Proximity Reports, Custom Market Share Analyses). The company also offers a 48-Hour Free Trial for prospect access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CSG LeadSearch™: Verified contact database platform providing triple-verified emails, phone numbers, and LinkedIn profiles for decision-makers at retail and restaurant companies. Includes 61,288 companies, 213,029 decision-makers, 94,076 verified emails, and 109,442 LinkedIn handles.
• LocationIQ
• Elite LeadSearch™

Products and services

• CSG LeadSearch Contact Databases Subscription-based online contact database providing triple-verified emails, phone numbers, and LinkedIn profiles for decision-makers at 61,288 retail and restaurant companies, covering 213,029 decision-makers, 94,076 verified emails, and 109,442 LinkedIn handles. Designed for sales teams, marketers, recruiters, and consultants needing verified B2B contacts with advanced filters and fast CRM-compatible exports.
• Store Locations & Market Intelligence Subscription-based store location intelligence covering 700,000+ retail and restaurant locations with daily updates, 16+ years of historical data, and 97.6% locational accuracy, delivered with mapping-ready geospatial exports and trend analysis for site selection, competitive analysis, and market research.
• Supermarket, Grocery Retailers & Convenience Store Database Industry-specific CSG LeadSearch database providing verified contact information for buyers, merchandisers, and executives at supermarket chains and convenience stores, allowing suppliers to bypass corporate gatekeepers and reach the retail grocery decision-makers responsible for purchasing products.
• Chain Restaurant Premier CSG LeadSearch Premier CSG LeadSearch database combining chain restaurants, franchisors, and multi-unit franchisee owners in a single platform to reach decision-makers across the restaurant industry spectrum, from corporate chains to multi-unit franchisee operators.
• Leading Chain Tenants Plus CSG LeadSearch Broad CSG LeadSearch database encompassing all retail and foodservice chains operating 5 or more stores, designed for commercial real estate professionals, signage companies, and service providers targeting retail chains and multi-location brands to fill vacancies or sell services.
• Elite LeadSearch Databases Maximum coverage databases providing extensive verified personnel across entire industries, including C-suite executives, buyers, marketing directors, and leaders with verified emails and LinkedIn profiles, available in industry-specific Elite collections (Grocery Retail Elite, Apparel Elite, Foodservice Elite, Personnel Across Technology).
• HR Personnel Database Specialized database of HR personnel for recruiting and outreach in retail and restaurant industries, sold as an annual subscription at $1,595 per single-user subscription.
• Drug Market Share Online Yearly subscription providing online access to drug store market share data with interactive maps, visualized data, void potential maps, and exportable Excel reports, priced at $1,100 per year.
• Grocery Market Share Online Yearly subscription for grocery store market share analysis and data.
• Supermarket LocationIQ Location intelligence database with 44,306 supermarket chain locations updated continuously for strategic planning and competitive analysis, priced at $4,000 per year.
• Restaurant LocationIQ Location intelligence database tracking 234,000+ restaurant locations including new openings, closures, and rebrands, priced at $11,500 per year.
• Drug Store LocationIQ Complete drug store channel location database with 32,619 locations mapped and current, priced at $3,300 per year.
• Discount and General Merchandise Store LocationIQ Value retail location database with 47,316 locations tracked for competitive analysis and market research, priced at $4,200 per year.
• Custom Databases Customized data solutions tailored to specific business requirements beyond CSG's standard database offerings, delivered via CSG's primary research team.
• Forecasting Services Market forecasting services leveraging CSG's 16+ years of historical retail and restaurant data for predictive business planning and growth strategy.
• Market Research B2B custom research services including quantitative and qualitative research, questionnaire design, data collection, fieldwork, tabulation, and analysis for retail and foodservice clients.
• Custom Proximity Report Custom proximity analysis reports for site selection and market opportunity identification, leveraging CSG's location database.
• Custom Market Share Analyses Customized market share analysis reports for specific industries or market segments in retail and foodservice.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97.6% locational accuracy rating
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature5 records

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• D&B Hoovers: D&B Hoovers is a sales intelligence platform combining Dun & Bradstreet's global business database with contact and company data — directly comparable to CSG's verified contact offerings for B2B sales and marketing teams.
• Salesgenie: Salesgenie provides B2B sales leads, contact databases, and customer prospecting tools for sales teams — directly comparable to CSG LeadSearch as a subscription-based sales lead provider for SMB and mid-market customers.
• UpLead: UpLead is a B2B sales intelligence and contact data platform with real-time email verification — a direct peer providing verified B2B contacts and company data on a subscription basis.
• InsideView: InsideView (now part of Demandbase) provides B2B sales and marketing intelligence with company and contact data — comparable as a B2B data platform targeting enterprise sales and marketing teams.
• Infogroup (Data.com): Infogroup is a long-established B2B contact data and marketing services provider — a legacy peer with a similar go-to-market model of curated, human-verified business contact and demographic data for sales and marketing.
• ZoomInfo: ZoomInfo is the leading B2B contact and sales intelligence platform providing verified decision-maker contacts and company data — directly comparable to CSG LeadSearch but at significantly greater scale and with broader vertical coverage.
• Apollo.io: Apollo.io is a B2B sales intelligence and engagement platform providing contact data, emails, and buyer intent — a direct peer in the verified decision-maker contact data space serving sales and marketing teams.

Emerging players

• Placer.ai: Placer.ai provides foot-traffic and location analytics for retail and restaurants using mobile location data — an emerging peer with overlapping retail and restaurant location intelligence but a technology-first, mobile-panel approach versus CSG's primary-research methodology.
• Lusha: Lusha is a fast-growing B2B contact data browser extension and platform — an emerging peer with overlapping decision-maker contact data but a lighter-weight, self-serve model targeting individual sales reps and SMBs.

Broad incumbents

• Esri (ArcGIS Business Analyst): Esri's ArcGIS Business Analyst provides retail site selection and location intelligence — a broad incumbent with overlapping location intelligence and market analysis capabilities serving CRE professionals and retailers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ChainStoreGuide
• Facebookfacebook.com/ChainStoreGuide
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chain-store-guide

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chain Store Guide