That has been done for decades. Most manufacturers employ scores of people going into shops to check how products are presented. Supermarkets employ people to c

That has been done for decades. Most manufacturers employ scores of people going into shops to check how products are presented. Supermarkets employ people to check traffic and sales at competing stores. Doing this online can be easier (if you know how to do it) but it's hardly new. In the offline world companies also try to protect themselves (you can get banned from stores when they find out that you work for the competition) but it's harder to do.