Secret Shopper
Secret Shopper is a privately held B2B mystery shopping and customer experience research firm founded in 1990, serving enterprises across automotive, healthcare, retail, restaurants, and financial services via onsite, phone, and online evaluations delivered by 1M+ shoppers across 186 countries through its proprietary Omnia platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersMinneapolis, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Secret Shopper does
Secret Shopper (legal entity: Sights on Service Inc.) is a privately held B2B professional services company founded in 1990 and headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The company provides mystery shopping and customer experience evaluation services to enterprises across verticals including automotive, healthcare, financial services, grocery, restaurants, convenience stores, real estate, and retail. Its core service offering consists of three evaluation modalities — Onsite, Phone Call, and Online Evaluations — executed by a global network of over 1 million independent contractor mystery shoppers across 186 countries, with cumulative volume exceeding 2.1 million shop evaluations over the company's 35+ year history.
The company's technology backbone is Omnia, a proprietary business intelligence platform that consolidates evaluation data from all three channels into customizable real-time dashboards and reports. AI-powered add-on modules include Sentiment Analytics (NLP-based subjective commentary analysis), Keyword Analytics (extraction and ranking of terms from reports), and semantic search/knowledge mining. Distribution is supported by a dedicated Client Portal, a Shopper Portal, and native iOS/Android mobile applications. The company holds MSPA Elite Member status, MSPA Shoppers Choice Award, and BBB accreditation, and maintains GDPR and CCPA compliance.
Secret Shopper generates revenue through quote-based, custom-designed enterprise mystery shopping programs with flexible scheduling (monthly, quarterly, seasonal, or ad hoc) on multi-year contracts. Go-to-market is sales-led with dedicated account managers and a Request Quote entry point on the website. Marketing is conducted through content (client and shopper blogs), organic social media, multi-language SEO, industry events (MSPA conferences), and client testimonials. The company has European operations in Dublin and Blackrock, Ireland, and targets enterprise clients of all sizes across multiple industries with no disclosed revenue or external funding.
Secret Shopper firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Secret Shopper
- Legal name
- Sights on Service Inc.
- Website
- https://secretshopper.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Secret Shopper is a privately held B2B mystery shopping and customer experience research firm founded in 1990, serving enterprises across automotive, healthcare, retail, restaurants, and financial services via onsite, phone, and online evaluations delivered by 1M+ shoppers across 186 countries through its proprietary Omnia platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Secret Shopper industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mystery Shopping Services
- NAICS
- Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910), Investigation and Security Services (5616)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Undercover Operations & Integrity Shopping (Internal Theft Testing) (BPAKAJAI)
Keywords
Where Secret Shopper is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Minneapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Secret Shopper business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Mystery Shopping Services (B2B): Secret Shopper generates revenue by providing mystery shopping and customer experience evaluation services to businesses on a contractual basis. Clients receive tailored programs with reporting and analytics. Revenue is generated through service fees for evaluations conducted across onsite, phone, and online channels.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Custom enterprise programs with tailored evaluation frequency |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Secret Shopper product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Secret Shopper designs and runs mystery shopping and customer experience research programs for multi-location businesses, deploying independent evaluators ("shoppers") to conduct onsite, telephone, and online evaluations of customer interactions. Program data is captured through a shopper portal and mobile application, then processed in the proprietary Omnia analytics platform that applies AI sentiment and keyword analytics to generate structured client reports. Service delivery spans more than 186 countries through a network of over one million contracted evaluators.
Product overview
Secret Shopper provides a unified customer experience research and mystery shopping platform. The core offering consists of three evaluation types—Onsite, Phone Call, and Online Evaluations—conducted by a global network of over 1 million trained mystery shoppers across 186 countries. The proprietary Omnia platform serves as the central intelligence hub, consolidating all data sources and evaluation types into customizable real-time dashboards and reports. AI-powered add-ons include Sentiment Analytics for NLP-based feedback analysis and keyword extraction. Additional services include Analytics and Analysis (NPS tracking, trend reports), International Services for global programs, and dedicated Shopper and Client Portals for program management. The company also offers mobile applications for iOS and Android to support shopper mobility.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Omnia: Business intelligence platform that consolidates data sources and integrates tools and metrics for onsite, over-the-phone, and online evaluations in a unified platform.
Products and services
- Onsite Mystery Evaluations On-location, in-person evaluations of customer experiences conducted by trained independent shoppers at client sites, delivering qualitative and structured scorecard feedback on service, compliance, and operations.
- Telephone Mystery Evaluations Call-based evaluations in which shoppers interact with contact centers or phone-based customer service to assess scripted behaviors, responsiveness, and compliance with brand standards.
- Online Mystery Evaluations Evaluations conducted via web chat, email, social media, or other digital channels to measure the online customer experience against defined brand and service criteria.
- Analytics and Reporting Structured analysis and dashboards that consolidate mystery shopping findings into scorecards, trend analyses, and action-planning insights for client program managers and executives.
- AI Sentiment & Keyword Analytics Artificial intelligence services that interpret evaluator-submitted narrative feedback, extracting sentiment, themes, and keyword-level insights at scale to enrich structured mystery shopping data.
- International Mystery Shopping Programs Multi-country mystery shopping program delivery leveraging the company's global evaluator network to provide consistent CX measurement across international locations.
Quantifiable outcome
- Organizations that prioritize customer experience are 60% more profitable than those that do not
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Secret Shopper
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments9 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Secret Shopper technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability5 records
Feature4 records
Secret Shopper partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Secret Shopper competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Market Force Information: Market Force provides mystery shopping, customer surveys, and CX analytics to multi-location enterprises, including retail and restaurant chains. Overlaps directly with Secret Shopper's onsite and phone evaluation services and enterprise customer profile.
- MaritzCX (Maritz): MaritzCX designs and operates enterprise customer experience and mystery shopping programs across automotive, retail, and financial services. Highly comparable to Secret Shopper on vertical specialization and large-enterprise delivery.
- Bestmark: Bestmark is a U.S.-based mystery shopping company providing in-person, phone, and online evaluations to enterprise clients. Direct competitor with similar service categories and B2B sales-led GTM motion.
- Service Management Group (SMG): SMG is one of the largest customer experience research and mystery shopping providers globally, offering onsite, phone, and digital evaluations with proprietary analytics. Directly competes with Secret Shopper across the same enterprise verticals (retail, restaurant, financial services).
- Second to None: Second to None is a mystery shopping and CX measurement firm serving enterprise clients with multi-channel evaluations and analytics. Competes head-to-head with Secret Shopper on enterprise mystery shopping programs.
- Reality Based Group: Reality Based Group is a mystery shopping and CX measurement provider focused on multi-unit operators in retail, restaurant, and hospitality. Directly comparable to Secret Shopper on services and verticals served.
- Intouch Insight: Intouch Insight (TSXV: INX) offers mystery shopping, customer experience surveys, and a SaaS analytics dashboard (IntouchCheck) for multi-location operators. Directly comparable to Secret Shopper's Omnia platform and enterprise CX services.
- TNG (The Nero Group): TNG is a major European mystery shopping and customer experience provider with operations across Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Strongly comparable given Secret Shopper's European footprint via its Dublin office.
- HS Brands Global: HS Brands (formerly Headway Workforce Solutions / Mystery Shopping Plus) provides mystery shopping, loss prevention, and CX measurement globally. Directly competes with Secret Shopper across retail and restaurant verticals.
Broad incumbents
- Ipsos: Ipsos is a global market research and CX firm that includes mystery shopping and customer experience measurement within its broader research portfolio. Competes with Secret Shopper for enterprise CX research dollars but as part of a much wider services portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Secret Shopper social profiles
Digital presenceSecret Shopper compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance8 records
Secret Shopper financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Secret Shopper leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Secret Shopper funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Secret Shopper M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Secret Shopper
What does Secret Shopper do?
Secret Shopper designs and runs mystery shopping and customer experience research programs for multi-location businesses, deploying independent evaluators ("shoppers") to conduct onsite, telephone, and online evaluations of customer interactions. Program data is captured through a shopper portal and mobile application, then processed in the proprietary Omnia analytics platform that applies AI sentiment and keyword analytics to generate structured client reports. Service delivery spans more than 186 countries through a network of over one million contracted evaluators.
Is Secret Shopper a public or private company?
Secret Shopper is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Secret Shopper founded?
Secret Shopper was founded in 1990. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Secret Shopper based?
Secret Shopper is headquartered in Minneapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Secret Shopper make money?
One revenue line is on record: mystery Shopping Services (B2B).
Who are Secret Shopper's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Market Force Information, MaritzCX (Maritz), Bestmark, Service Management Group (SMG), Second to None, Reality Based Group, Intouch Insight, TNG (The Nero Group) and HS Brands Global. Ipsos is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Secret Shopper have an API?
No public API is recorded for Secret Shopper.
What industry is Secret Shopper in?
Secret Shopper's product category is Mystery Shopping Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAKAJAI, Undercover Operations & Integrity Shopping (Internal Theft Testing). Its NAICS code is 541910.