3/12/2013 2:12:00 PM
NEWS BRIEF

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Grainger daily sales in February increased 6%, including 4 percentage points from volume, 2 percentage points from price and 1 percentage point from acquisitions, partially offset by a 1 percentage point decline from foreign exchange.
“The underlying daily sales growth in February was essentially on par with January,” stated Bill Chapman, senior director of Investor Relations. “Unlike the 8 percent daily sales growth in January, there was no benefit from sales of seasonal products at the company level and January did not include the 1 percentage point drag from unfavorable foreign exchange experienced this month.” 

“The sales comparison in February is the most difficult of the year as we reported 18 percent daily sales growth in February 2012.”

Daily sales for the U.S. segment grew 7%, consisting of 3 percentage points from price, 2 percentage points from volume, 1 percentage point from sales of seasonal products and 1 percentage point from acquisitions. 

For U.S. customer end markets, light manufacturing and natural resources were up in the low double digits; heavy manufacturing was up in the high single digits; commercial, contractor and retail up in the mid single digits; government was up in the low single digits; and reseller was down in the low single digits. 

In Grainger’s Canadian segment, daily sales increased 6% in U.S. currency, consisting of 7 percentage points from volume and one percentage point from seasonal products, partially offset by a 2 percentage point decline from foreign exchange. 

“Strong growth to customers in the Construction, Oil and Gas and Commercial end markets contributed to this performance,” the company stated.

Daily sales for our Other Businesses, which includes operations primarily in Asia, Europe and Latin America, increased 7% in February. This growth consisted of 9 percentage points from volume and price and 4 percentage points from acquisitions, partially offset by a 6 percentage point decline from unfavorable foreign exchange.  

So far in March daily sales growth “is trending slightly below” February’s 6% rate of increase.

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