There are several methods for performing competitive analysis: Public document analysis: involves reviewing documents such as financial reports, trade press, websites, business records, etc. Market research: involves conducting surveys or interviews with customers, suppliers, industry representatives, etc. Data analysis: involves processing and analyzing data, such as demographic data, sales data, market data, etc. SWOT analysis: involves determining the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for a particular company or industry. Benchmarking: involves comparing a company’s performance and activities with those of its competitors. Mystery Shopping: involves posing as a shopper at a competitor’s stores to learn about their offerings, prices and quality of service. Social Media Monitoring: involves tracking and analyzing competitors’ activities on various social media channels. Tools such as brand24 can also be used for this purpose to get results from multiple sources of competitor data.