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Sales by Product Line (Tables) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2012
Segment Reporting [Abstract] |
Percentages Of Net Sales By Product Line | The percentages of our net sales by product line are as follows:
Type | Introduced |  | 2012 |  | 2011 |  | 2010
Fasteners 1 | 1967 |  | 44.0% |  | 46.9% |  | 49.1%
Tools | 1993 |  | 9.3% |  | 9.4% |  | 9.3%
Cutting tools | 1996 |  | 5.1% |  | 4.6% |  | 4.4%
Hydraulics & pneumatics | 1996 |  | 7.6% |  | 7.8% |  | 7.2%
Material handling | 1996 |  | 6.0% |  | 6.1% |  | 6.1%
Janitorial supplies | 1996 |  | 6.6% |  | 6.2% |  | 6.1%
Electrical supplies | 1997 |  | 4.7% |  | 4.7% |  | 4.6%
Welding supplies | 1997 |  | 4.3% |  | 3.9% |  | 3.6%
Safety supplies | 1999 |  | 9.3% |  | 7.9% |  | 7.0%
Metals | 2001 |  | 0.5% |  | 0.5% |  | 0.5%
Direct ship 2 | 2004 |  | 1.6% |  | 1.6% |  | 1.6%
Office supplies | 2010 |  | 0.1% |  | 0.1% |  | 0.1%
Other |  |  | 0.9% |  | 0.3% |  | 0.4%
|  |  | 100.0% |  | 100.0% |  | 100.0%
1 | Fastener product line represents fasteners and miscellaneous supplies.
2 | Direct ship represents a cross section of products from the eleven product lines. The items included here represent certain items with historically low margins which are shipped directly from our distribution channel to our customers, bypassing our store network.

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