Mystery Shopping Services Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Services (Banking and Finance, Retail, Hospitality, Automotive, and Others), By Type (Video Mystery Shopping, In-Person Mystery Shopping, Telephone Mystery Shopping, Online Mystery Shopping, and Multiple Touchpoint Mystery Shopping), and Regional Forecast, 2025-2032

The global mystery shopping services market size was valued at USD 2,217.62 million in 2024. The market is projected to grow from USD 2,314.98 million in 2025 to USD 3,237.20 million by 2032, exhibiting a CAGR of 4.91% during the forecast period. North America dominated the mystery shopping services market with a market share of 44.05% in 2024.

Mystery shopping services are a method in which mystery shopping companies send individuals, known as secret shoppers or mystery shoppers, to visit sales locations, such as retail stores, hotels, and showrooms. These secret shoppers act as typical consumers, and they perform tasks, such as buying products or services, lodging complaints, and asking questions. In addition, this method helps companies check the overall quality of customer experience, offering businesses valuable insights and also helps in checking whether the employees are following the company’s procedure or not.

Prominent players operating in the mystery shopping services market include Netrika, BARE International, BestMark, IntelliShop, Signature Worldwide, and Sinclair Customer Metrics.

MARKET DYNAMICS

MARKET DRIVERS

Rise in Awareness Regarding Mystery Shopping Services Among Various Industries to Fuel Market Growth

The increase in awareness among various industries regarding the benefits of mystery shopping services, such as rising customer loyalty, improving customer service, recognizing strengths and areas for improvement, improving sales, and improving staff behavior, is driving the global mystery shopping services market growth. These services in a hotel, retail, restaurant, and automotive environment have increased significantly as they help in understanding the customer's expectations and also help in taking the necessary remedial actions. Furthermore, a rise in social media advertisements by mystery shopping service companies on digital platforms, such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, has further increased the mystery shopper's awareness among various industries across the globe in a short period. Thus, the surge in awareness regarding mystery shopping services and increased social media advertisements by these companies globally drive the market growth.

MARKET RESTRAINTS

Presence of Insufficient Data to Restrain Market Growth

The presence of insufficient data and the risk of misinterpretation by mystery shoppers can lead to inaccurate information and data. The inaccurate data leads to reduced lead generation, which affects overall customer experience, declines revenue, and negatively affects the revenue forecast. Furthermore, the insufficient data makes it challenging to develop targeted marketing campaigns, customer retention, new product development, and social media advertisements. Thus, the lack of data and information from mystery shopping service providers results in restraining the growth of the industry.

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Sustainability and Ethical Shopping to Favor Market Expansion

Across the globe, consumers are becoming environmentally conscious and prefer brands with sustainable and ethical practices. Key companies, such as BARE International, BestMark, and Signature globally, are evolving to provide insights related to sustainable practices as a core part of consumer experience evaluation. This also includes measuring transparency in the supply chain, evaluating retailer's adherence to sustainability commitments, and also auditing their carbon footprints. Furthermore, the mystery shoppers also evaluate real-time blockchain data, which allows shoppers to trace the complete product lifecycle from production to the point of sale. Thus, increasing mystery shopping services that provide data related to sustainable products and ethical audits to industry players will further drive market growth.

MARKET CHALLENGES

High Service Costs to Impede Market Growth

The high costs associated with mystery shopping service companies are impacting the market growth. The service cost of mystery shopping service providers depends on various factors, such as the number of shoppers, the type of business, and the complexity of the task, which result in enhancing the service cost. Furthermore, continuous changes in consumer behavior, new technology developments, and shifting industry landscapes are factors that boost service costs and negatively impact industry growth.

MYSTERY SHOPPING SERVICES MARKET TRENDS

Rise in Advancements at the Technological Level is the Major Trend Boosting Market Growth

With the rise in technology level, mystery shopping is witnessing a great transformation in evaluating and enhancing the customer journey. The increase in the adoption of technology, such as Augmented Reality (AR) platforms, integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI), mobile-enabled platforms, and video-based evaluations by mystery shopping service companies, has helped them collect more insights and understand customer requirements. Furthermore, artificial intelligence is considered to be the most significant trend in the mystery shopping industry. AI-powered algorithms study a large amount of data to recognize patterns and deliver unique insights. In addition, machine learning algorithms help in studying customer interactions, extracting their opinions and customer feedback, and pinpointing the areas of improvement. The growing adoption of video-based evaluations by mystery shoppers has helped them improve accountability and transparency as it serves as strong evidence for their insights. Thus, the surge in the adoption of advanced technologies by mystery shoppers will further fuel market growth.

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IMPACT OF COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the mystery shopping services industry. The complete closure of national and international boundaries, shutting down of all retail outlets, restaurants, and offices, implementation of lockdown measures across the countries, lack of availability of workforce, and restriction in the movement of goods and raw materials restricted the global market growth. Furthermore, the market began improving in 2021 as the government started uplifting the lockdown measures, which resulted in enhancing the production level and also in enhancing footfall in retail outlets.

Segmentation Analysis

By Services

Surge in Adoption of Mystery Shopping Services in Retail Boosts Segment Growth

Based on services, the market is segmented into banking and finance, retail, hospitality, automotive, and others.

The retail segment holds a major mystery shopping service market share. Mystery shoppers helps retailers understand the consumer’s perspective, identify areas to improve the shopping experience, evaluate employee product knowledge, assess the effectiveness of events & promotions, and enhance customer satisfaction.

The hospitality segment is projected to rise with the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Mystery shoppers help evaluate check-in and checkout procedures, dining experiences, hotel accommodations, cleanliness, staff professionalism, and guest satisfaction. It also enables hospitality businesses to get crucial feedback to create memorable guest experiences and deliver extraordinary services, which will further trigger market growth.

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By Type

The In-Person Mystery Shopping Segment Dominated the Market Owing to Its Increase in Usage in Several Industries

Based on type, the market is segmented into video mystery shopping, in-person mystery shopping, telephone mystery shopping, online mystery shopping, and multiple touchpoint mystery shopping.

The in-person mystery shopping segment dominated the global market. In-person mystery shopping is a practice in which mystery shoppers visit businesses as regular consumers to evaluate their consumer service and experience. Furthermore, in-person mystery shopping is used in various industries such as healthcare, hotel, automotive, retail, restaurant, banking, fitness, and petro-convenience.

The online mystery shopping segment is projected to rise with the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Advancements in technology have made online mystery shopping more important as it helps evaluate the aspects of the customer experience on mobile apps, websites, online platforms, and other websites.

MYSTERY SHOPPING SERVICES MARKET REGIONAL OUTLOOK

The market has been studied geographically across five main regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, and the Middle East & Africa.

North America

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North America dominated the global mystery shopping services market share. The rising number of retail outlets, hotels, restaurants, and others in countries, such as the U.S. and Canada drives the market growth. Furthermore, the increased use of mystery shoppers by various industries to increase customer footfall and customer retention and to provide better customer service products has further fueled market growth.

Europe

Europe is projected to grow with a considerable CAGR during the forecast period. The increasing need for businesses to assess and improve customer experience drives regional growth. The mystery shopping service providers give valuable insights related to customer behavior and preferences, which enables businesses to refine their strategies in Europe.

Asia Pacific

Asia Pacific is projected to rise with a substantial CAGR in the coming years, owing to a surge in population, urbanization, growing disposable income, rising working population, rising mystery shopping program, increasing number of retail outlets, hotels, restaurants, and others. Furthermore, the increase in awareness amongst various industries regarding mystery shoppers in countries, such as India, Australia, Vietnam, and China further drives regional growth.

South America and the Middle East & Africa

South America and the Middle East & Africa have witnessed substantial growth in the last couple of years owing to an increase in investment by various industries, such as hotel, automotive, retail, and telecommunication, in mystery shoppers for analyzing the regular customer behavior, product need, assessing employee performance, enhancing quality of service, and improving operations.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

KEY INDUSTRY PLAYERS

Key Companies to Adopt Innovative Strategies to Gain Competitive Edge

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Netrika, BARE International, BestMark, IntelliShop, and Sinclair Customer Metrics are the largest key players in the market. The global market is consolidated, with the top 5 players accounting for around 28.12% of the market share. The market is highly competitive, and prominent companies are focusing on technological innovations, partnerships, and market expansions to gain a strong foothold in the market. The key market players also focus on their promotion and marketing strategies to create brand standards.

LIST OF KEY MYSTERY SHOPPING SERVICE COMPANIES PROFILED:

• Netrika(India)


• BARE International (U.S.)


• BestMark (Russia)


• IntelliShop (U.S.)


• Sinclair Customer Metrics (U.S.)


• Signature Worldwide (U.S.)


• Appexigo (India)


• GAPbuster Worldwide Pty (Australia)


• ACE Mystery Shopping (U.S.)


• Secret Shopper (U.S.)

KEY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS:

• March 2024 – Allwyn, a U.K.-based company that deals with providing technology for the lottery industry, announced the launch of Operation Guardian. The operation will expand the mystery shopper and knowledge programs, which will enhance the levels of support for retailers and enable them to sell National Lottery products.


• December 2020: MotorVise (Automotive) Ltd., a U.K.-based company that deals in the automotive retail industry, announced the launch of its mystery shopping services. The launch will help in improving the quality of customer service provided across car dealerships.


• June 2020: SGS Société Générale de Surveillance SA, a Switzerland-based company that deals in testing, inspection, and certification, announced the launch of mystery shopper audit services for online stores. The launch will help in assessing the logistics of online shopping in real life.

REPORT COVERAGE

The report provides a detailed market analysis and focuses on key aspects, such as competition landscape, market dynamics, regional analysis, services, and type. Besides this, it offers insights into various mystery shopping services market trends and highlights key industry developments. In addition to the above-mentioned factors, the market research report encompasses several other factors that have contributed to the growth of the market in recent years.

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Report Scope & Segmentation