Modell's CEO Busted Going Undercover As Dick's Executive And Trying To Steal Their Business Ideas

Market Watch – Retail executives often talk about visiting competitors’ stores to see how they can one-up their rivals. But going behind enemy lines to gather competitive intelligence can be fraught with peril. Case in point: Modell’s Sporting Goods CEO Mitchell Modell. Modell, a former star of CBS’s reality TV show “Undercover Boss,” has apparently taken impersonation beyond the show, allegedly pretending to be a senior executive at the company’s larger rival Dick’s Sporting Goods DKS +1.02% when he visited a Dick’s New Jersey store, the Bergen Record reported Friday, citing a complaint Dick’s filed last month in state Superior Court in Mercer County. Modell allegedly persuaded employees to show him private back room areas to see how Dick’s, with three times more stores than Modell’s, does its businesses, including shipping online orders.Dick’s is seeking unspecified financial compensation for damages and asking for a ruling that would bar Modell or any of his employees from visiting the non-public areas of a Dick’s store or using the information gained from his February visit, the Record reported, citing the complaint.

I don’t like this move.  I love it.  I mean if you ain’t cheating you ain’t trying.  Like if I could walk into any of my blogs competitors and steal info I would. Only problem is I invented the game and everybody steals from me, but the point remains if I could I would. It’s a no brainer. Snake it till you make it. Business is war. It’s that simple.   Let me put it this way. You don’t become the CEO of Modells by not going undercover at Dicks and stealing their secrets.  The only problem here is he got caught.