W.W. Grainger, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, distributes maintenance, repair, and operating products and services primarily in North America, Japan, and the United Kingdom. The company operates through two segments, High-Touch Solutions North America and Endless Assortment. It provides safety, security, material handling and storage equipment, pumps and plumbing equipment, cleaning and maintenance, and metalworking and hand tools. The company …
Full GWW analysis →
Competitive advantage assessment
Key strengths
Scale Supporting ProfitabilityProfitability at scale is strong (score 0.92), demonstrating competitive advantages.
Margins Consistently Above PeersGross margin at 39.1% (top 10%) and operating margin at 13.9% (top 5%) indicate strong pricing power.
The dashed ring is the peer median. Defense scores are percentile ranks
against peers, so 50 is roughly the typical company in this group.
Upgrade to unlock the signals and evidence behind each defense.
Premium access
Unlock full defense analysis
Get key signals, strengths, and risks for every moat dimension.
W.W. Grainger, Inc. ranks #2 of 21
scored companies in Industrial Distribution by moat score — the top 10%.
The widest moat in the group is Fastenal Company (FAST)
at 91/100.
Moat scores for companies ranked near GWW in Industrial Distribution
Pricing power is the ability to raise prices without losing volume.
Cost Advantage
Score 67
· 15% of the moat score
A cost advantage means delivering the same product for structurally less — better purchasing, denser distribution, a more automated process.
Customer Stickiness
Score 87
· 15% of the moat score
Stickiness is what makes revenue repeat without being re-won every year.
Capital Efficiency
Score 73
· 18% of the moat score
Capital efficiency asks what the company earns on the money tied up in the business.
Resilience
Score 74
· 17% of the moat score
Resilience is the capacity to get through a bad year on its own terms — enough liquidity, enough interest cover, and enough cash generation to avoid a rescue financing or a forced sale.
Scale & Market Position
Score 94
· 15% of the moat score
Scale matters only when it converts into economics.
W.W. Grainger, Inc. (GWW) scores 77 out of 100 on the StatsAlpha Moat Map, which rates its competitive advantage as strong. It ranks #2 of 21 scored companies in Industrial Distribution, the top 10%. The score is a weighted composite of 6 competitive defenses, each measured against industry peers of 20 companies in Industrial Distribution. Its strongest defense is Scale & Market Position (94/100) and its weakest is Pricing Power (66/100).
How does W.W. Grainger, Inc. compare with other Industrial Distribution companies?
W.W. Grainger, Inc. ranks #2 of 21 scored companies in Industrial Distribution by moat score. The widest moat in Industrial Distribution is Fastenal Company (FAST) at 91/100. The companies ranked closest are Fastenal Company (FAST) at 91 just above it and Applied Industrial Technologies (AIT) at 76 just below it.
How is the moat score calculated?
Each company is scored with an industry-specific template — Corporate Default in this case, chosen because the defenses that matter to a bank are not the ones that matter to a software company. Every defense combines several financial signals, and each signal is measured as a percentile against a peer group of 20 companies in Industrial Distribution. The defenses are then weighted to produce the overall score out of 100.
Why is W.W. Grainger, Inc. scored with the Corporate Default template?
Most public companies sell a product or a service at a margin, so the moat question is whether that margin survives contact with competitors. The Corporate template scores the six defenses that show up in a general operating company's financial signature: whether it can hold price, produce more cheaply than rivals, keep its customers, earn a return above its cost of capital, withstand a downturn, and turn size into economics.
Which competitive defenses are measured for W.W. Grainger, Inc.?
The Corporate Default template measures 6 defenses, and GWW scores: Pricing Power (66), Cost Advantage (67), Customer Stickiness (87), Capital Efficiency (73), Resilience (74), Scale & Market Position (94). Each is scored independently as a percentile against peers, so a company can be strong on one and weak on another — the overall score reflects how those defenses are weighted for this industry.
We value your privacy
We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience, analyze site traffic, and personalize content. By clicking 'Accept All', you consent to our use of cookies.
Read our cookie policy
Cookie Preferences
Manage your cookie preferences. Essential cookies are always enabled.