gww-20221214

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):

December 14, 2022

W.W. Grainger, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Illinois

1-5684

36-1150280

(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)

(Commission file number)

(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

100 Grainger Parkway,

60045-5201

Lake Forest,

Illinois

(Zip Code)

(Address of principal executive offices)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (847) 535-1000

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

☐ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:


Title of Each Class	Trading Symbol	Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered
Common Stock	GWW	New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Item 8.01. Other Events.

On December 14, 2022, Zoro Tools, Inc., a subsidiary of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (the “Company”), issued a press release announcing that its e-commerce business, Zoro.com, reached $1 billion in annual sales for the first time in a calendar year. A copy is filed as Exhibit 99.1 to this report.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits.



Exhibit No.			Description of Exhibit
99.1			Press release dated December 14, 2022.
104			Cover Page Interactive Data File (the cover page XBRL tags embedded within the Inline XBRL document).

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

Date: December 14, 2022


			W.W. GRAINGER, INC.

			By:			/s/ Deidra C. Merriwether
			Name:			Deidra C. Merriwether
			Title:			Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:

Janine Sheedy

[email protected]

224-213-1892

Zoro.com Reaches $1 Billion in Annual Sales

The business achieves this milestone after growing assortment and customer base

CHICAGO, DECEMBER 14, 2022 - Zoro.com, an eCommerce business that sells millions of supplies, equipment and tools to small businesses nationwide, today announced it has reached $1 billion in annual sales for the first time in a calendar year.

“Zoro exists to make customers’ lives easier, and this achievement is a testament to the ways we continue to help small businesses find and buy more of what they need in one place,” said Kevin Weadick, President of Zoro.com. “Thank you to the Zoro team for reaching this milestone, and to the customers who continue to trust in us to get them what they need to run their businesses. We believe there is nothing but opportunity for Zoro to continue to grow as we strive to have every product for every customer.”

A subsidiary of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE: GWW), Zoro.com launched in May 2011 with 20 team members and 180,000 items. Now, with more than 600 team members, Zoro.com continues to expand and rapidly grow by offering nearly 11 million unique products, with a goal to make it easy for every customer to get exactly what they need by shipping millions of products as fast and efficiently as possible.

With competitive pricing, no hassle returns, and payment terms, Zoro helps small businesses get what they need to develop and maintain their businesses.

About Zoro.com: Zoro.com (a subsidiary of W.W. Grainger, Inc.) is a one-stop destination for parts, tools, and supplies for all kinds of businesses, and offers a comprehensive buying experience that's both fast and hassle-free. With millions of products that include both the everyday and the hard-to-find, Zoro.com makes it easy for customers to get what they need so they can focus on what's important—running a business.

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