Executive Summary
Global Rank
#144,358
Monthly Visits
243,908
Avg Duration
2m 15s
Pages/Visit
3.94
Strategic Overview
Established, loyal customer base in Midwest regions, Broad retail and online presence with physical stores, Large product catalog and trusted supplier network, Brand recognition spanning multiple generations.
Intense competition from national chains and ecommerce giants, Seasonal sales volatility typical in hardware/outdoor retail, Potential cyber risk, given history of a payment card breach, Scaling website UX for modern expectations.
Our Verdict
Upside & Downside Analysis
The Bull Case
3 PointsLong Operating History & Strong Regional Brand
- Founded in 1959 and expanded to 13 stores across three states
- Consistent multi-generational ownership (Matteson family)
- Frequently cited in regional press for growth and community presence
Omnichannel Retail
- Significant brick-and-mortar operations supplementing online sales
- Curbside pickup, local delivery, and robust product range
- Category leader in 'Home & Garden'/hardware niches regionally
Solid Financials and Revenue Scale
- Estimated $168.9M+ revenue from multiple business intelligence sources
- No evidence of debt distress or outside capital dependency
- Private ownership provides flexibility on margin and reinvestment
The Bear Case
3 PointsMarket Competition Risks
- Faces price and convenience competition from big-box retailers and Amazon
- Category overlap with national chains reduces pricing power
- Digital native competitors may erode regional leads
Operational & Technology Gaps
- Some negative user feedback around website search and shopping experience
- Needs ongoing investment to match evolving ecommerce UX standards
- Past payment card breach highlights ongoing cyber vigilance needs
Economic Cyclicality
- Sales exposed to seasonal swings and consumer discretionary spend
- Inflation or supply issues can impact margins and inventories
Domain Integrity
The domain is over 25 years old, locked, securely registered, and uses up-to-date SSL without any blacklist or safe browsing warnings.
| Registrar | Network Solutions, LLC |
|---|---|
| Domain Age | Apr 21, 1999 (26 years old) |
| Security Status |
Registry Locked
SSL: R12
|
Reputation
1 Reviews
Sentiment Analysis
Customer sentiment is strongly positive in-store, fairly neutral to positive online, and no indications of scams or brand abuse.
Common Themes
Traffic Distribution
| Top Countries | Traffic Share | Trend |
|---|---|---|
|
United States
|
97.50% |
|
|
Canada
|
0.70% |
|
|
Turkey
|
0.40% |
|
|
Belgium
|
0.40% |
|
|
Venezuela
|
0.20% |
|
Competition
| Competitor Type | Threat Analysis |
|---|---|
| Regional home/garden and farm retailers | Direct competition for core rural/outdoor market and overlapping brands (e.g., Family Farm & Home, North Country Fire, Atwoods, Menards) |
| Online big-box retailers/ecommerce | National scale and pricing pressure (Amazon, Home Depot, Ace Hardware) |
| Specialty/niche ecommerce shops | Product/depth specialization and digital-first marketing (e.g., PlumbersStock, AffordableOpeners) |
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
- Decades of family ownership and trusted regional brand
- Robust online/offline infrastructure and product diversity
- Healthy revenue scale and no external fund dependency
- Positive community/regional media coverage
Weaknesses
- Ecommerce UX not best-in-class
- Limited digital presence outside Midwest
- Historically moderate online review volume and engagement
Opportunities
- Omnichannel expansion, including curbside/delivery
- Digital marketing to strengthen repeat online business
- Further product line expansion leveraging brand equity
Threats
- Amazon, Home Depot, and other ecom leaders
- Macro conditions affecting discretionary spend
- Cyber threats, including repeat data breaches
Tech Stack
Cloud Hosting & CDN
Hosted on Fastly, Cloudinary, Amazon S3, and other CDN platforms for fast global delivery and resilience.
Ecommerce/Payments
Magento 2, Shopify detected for online retail; wide payment options (PayPal, Stripe, major cards, Amazon Pay, Google Pay), PCI compliance evident.
Analytics & Optimization
Integrates Google Analytics, Hotjar, Mixpanel, Microsoft Clarity, New Relic, and Adobe Marketing Cloud for performance and conversion optimization.
Security & Compliance
Uses HTTPS, SPF, DMARC, reCAPTCHA, KnowBe4, and periodic security enhancements. Previous cyber incident appears resolved.
Marketing & Social
Employs robust marketing stack: MailChimp, Facebook Pixel, Google Tag Manager, and PowerReviews for reputation management.
Key Risks
| Identified Risk | Impact | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| Cybersecurity/data breach recurrence | High | Upgraded security after previous breach; continued investment in cyber tooling and training |
| Brand dilution or competition from national players | Medium | Focuses on local reputation, service, and unique in-store offerings |
| Website usability/commerce experience falls behind peers | Medium | Ongoing investment in ecommerce tech, reviews-driven improvements |
| Supply chain/inventory disruption | Medium | Diverse supplier base and robust physical distribution; experience in dealing with seasonal volatility |
Contacts
Appendix & Sources
Key Citations
-
L & M Fleet Supply – About
Official company page, verifying leadership, history, and store footprint.
-
L&M Fleet Supply Executive Team
Provides executive and leadership details.
-
L&M Fleet Supply Reviews – ResellerRatings
Over 7,600 customer reviews confirm shipping, pricing, and overall satisfaction.
-
BBB Profile: L&M Fleet Supply
Business profile, rating, and historical complaint tracking.
-
Montana DOJ Breach Notices
Official notification regarding prior payment card breach and company response.
-
News: L&M Fleet Supply to open shop in Escanaba
Press coverage of store expansion and ongoing growth.
-
SimilarWeb Traffic Overview – L&M Fleet Supply
Validated web traffic, ranking, and country engagement.
Data Sources Used
Disclaimer
This due diligence report is based on third-party data, public filings, and open sources as of the provided date. No guarantee of completeness or future business condition is made. For material transactions, direct verification with company management is advised.