When I worked at future shop / best buy 25 years ago, it was part of our job to weekly go to Staples / Office Depot / Radio Shack to write down prices, product

When I worked at future shop / best buy 25 years ago, it was part of our job to weekly go to Staples / Office Depot / Radio Shack to write down prices, product placement, customer experience, worker knowledge etc. Not saying I enjoyed it, but it taught me at early age that Competition awareness in some form or another is a baseline for a business owner. They seem to be upfront and open about it. Depending on your market and placement, you can even use it as an opportunity to reach out. In some markets it's a closed sum, in some markets it's a rising tide lifts all ships.