Sources For Competitor Analysis

In the recent quarters, I have studied 10Q reports for several steak house concepts and all of the companies reported store openings and closings in these reports. In addition to the excellent public reports available on www.sec.gov, there is a wealth of competitor analysis available on the web. I use the excellent information available online at Restaurant Chains and their excellent email Alerts.

An objective plan should contain a thorough competitor analysis with the expected impact on current units and expected openings. It's possible to get a vivid picture of the year ahead through public reports, online searches and press releases. Data on openings is always available months ahead of time. Local newspapers and magazines frequently announce new projects.

These publications also cover closings. A prudent planner would be wise to build in some closings in a realistic five year plan. Just look at Zagat's annual memoriam page in each city, you'll find plenty of closings.

Carefully select your targets for new units. Provide for real world disappointments in your numbers. Check out reports on public companies and look for the term discontinued operations. Careful competitor analysis and realistic planning will provide an achievable long range target.