Fleet Farm vs. Farm & Fleet

The two chains, Mills Fleet Farm and Blain’s Farm & Fleet, besides similar names, originated in the same year, have similar numbers of stores, serve similar areas, and the stores often have similar layouts and sell similar merchandise. The common explanation is they were a single chain that split in a family dispute.

In his Furst Draft column in the Rochester (Minnesota) Post-Bulletin, Jay Furst explained that they are and always have been separate companies.

Though it’s often rumored in farm country that the Mills and Blain’s chains are the result of a family feud, they’re not, says Blain’s spokeswoman Renee Tarnutzer. “In fact, we chuckle every time we hear the rumor that there was some sort of family dispute between two brothers,” she says.

(via Wikipedia)