GWW vs SLB 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.

SLB is the world's premier oilfield-services company as measured by market share. While the industry is largely fragmented, SLB holds the first or second competitive position in many of the differentiated oligopolies in which it operates. Also known as Schlumberger, the company was founded in 1926 by two brothers bearing the same last name. Today, it's most known as a global industry leader in innovation, while it focuses its strategy on its three growth engines: core, digital, and new energy businesses. Over three-fourths of its revenue base is tied to international markets, while the company boasts roughly $3 billion in digital-related revenue.