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BACKGROUND AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION	6 Months Ended
BACKGROUND AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION	Jun. 30, 2018
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
BACKGROUND AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION	BACKGROUND AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION W.W. Grainger, Inc. is a broad line, business-to-business distributor of maintenance, repair and operating (MRO) supplies, and other related products and services. W.W. Grainger, Inc.’s operations are primarily in the United States (U.S.) and Canada, with a presence in Europe, Asia and Latin America. In this report, the words “Company” or “Grainger” mean W.W. Grainger, Inc. and its subsidiaries, except where the context makes it clear that the reference is only to W.W. Grainger, Inc. itself and not its subsidiaries. The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company and the related notes are unaudited and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes for the year ended December 31, 2017 included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on February 26, 2018. The Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2017 has been derived from the audited consolidated financial statements at that date, but does not include all of the disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America for complete financial statements. The unaudited financial information reflects all adjustments (primarily consisting of normal recurring adjustments) which, in the opinion of management, are necessary for a fair presentation of the statements contained in this report.