GWW vs MET Comparison

Founded in 1927, W.W. Grainger originally distributed various motors via a mail-order catalogue. Over the course of the 20th century, the firm expanded into new industrial product categories and launched its first digital catalogue in 1995. Today, the company organizes itself into two segments focused on different customer bases. Its larger segment, high-touch solutions, offers a vast array of maintenance, repair, and operations, or MRO, supplies and bespoke inventory management services to larger businesses. Its smaller segment, endless assortment, operates two online platforms, Zoro and MonotaRO, that offer comprehensive catalogues of MRO supplies to smaller businesses. Grainger has operations throughout the world but primarily generates sales within the US.

MetLife is one of the largest life insurers in the US by assets and provides a variety of life insurance and annuity products. It is organized into six segments: Group Benefits, Retirement and Income Solutions, Asia, Latin America, Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA), and MetLife Holdings (products in run-off). Group Benefits and RIS are US-based, contributing to around 48% of the firm's 2024 adjusted earnings. The Asia segment contributes around 25% of earnings, mainly tied to Japan. The company also holds leading market positions in Mexico and Chile, with the Latin America segment contributing around 13% of 2024 earnings. The EMEA and MetLife Holdings segments contributed around 4% and 10% of 2024 earnings, respectively.