BCS vs FAST Comparison

Barclays is a universal bank headquartered in the United Kingdom. It operates via five principal segments; UK (retail), UK corporate bank, private bank and wealth management, investment bank, and US consumer bank. In its UK segment, the bank provides current accounts, mortgages, savings and investment management services, credit cards, and business banking services to retail clients and small and medium-size enterprises. The international segment includes a corporate bank offering banking solutions to large corporates, a bulge-bracket global investment bank, and a credit card and payments business.

Fastenal began as an industrial retailer, expanding its product portfolio from nuts and bolts to cutting tools, safety equipment, and janitorial supplies. It transitioned into a distributor by building out a dense network of branches close to its business customers. Once a customer becomes large enough, Fastenal installs vending machines and its own personnel on-site. Today, these on-site locations exceed Fastenal's branch count and remain the firm's main focus for expansion. Fastenal acts as a one-stop outsourcing partner for its industrial customers, offering value-added services along with a wide breadth of maintenance, repair, and operations supplies.