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SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2022
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES [Abstract] |
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES | SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES W.W. Grainger, Inc. is a broad line distributor of maintenance, repair and operating (MRO) products and services with operations primarily in North America (N.A.), Japan and the United Kingdom (U.K.). In this report, the words “Grainger” or “Company” 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. Principles of Consolidation The Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries over which the Company exercises control. All significant intercompany transactions are eliminated from the Consolidated Financial Statements. The Company has a controlling ownership interest in MonotaRO, the endless assortment business in Japan, with the residual representing the noncontrolling interest. The Company reports MonotaRO on a one-month calendar lag allowing for the timely preparation of financial statements. This one-month reporting lag is with the exception of significant transactions or events that occur during the intervening period. Use of Estimates The preparation of the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions affecting reported amounts in the Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying notes. Actual results may differ from those estimates. Foreign Currency Translation The U.S. dollar is the Company's reporting currency for all periods presented. The financial statements of the Company’s foreign operating subsidiaries are measured using the local currency as the functional currency. Assets and liabilities of the Company’s foreign operating subsidiaries are translated into U.S. dollars at the exchange rate in effect at the balance sheet date. Revenues and expenses are translated at average rates in effect during the period. Translation gains or losses are recorded as a separate component of other comprehensive earnings (losses). Revenue Recognition The Company recognizes revenue when a sales arrangement with a customer exists (e.g., contract, purchase orders, others), the transaction price is fixed or determinable and the Company has satisfied its performance obligation per the sales arrangement. The majority of Company revenue originates from contracts with a single performance obligation to deliver products, whereby performance obligations are satisfied when control of the product is transferred to the customer per the arranged shipping terms. Some Company contracts contain a combination of product sales and services, which are distinct and accounted for as separate performance obligations and are satisfied when the services are rendered. Total service revenue is not material and accounted for approximately 1% of the Company's revenue for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020. The Company’s revenue is measured at the determinable transaction price, net of any variable considerations granted to customers and any taxes collected from customers and subsequently remitted to governmental authorities. Variable considerations include rights to return products and sales incentives, which primarily consist of volume rebates. These variable considerations are estimated throughout the year based on various factors, including contract terms, historical experience and performance levels. Total accrued sales returns were approximately $38 million and $34 million as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and are reported as a reduction of Accounts receivable – net. Total accrued sales incentives were approximately $102 million and $73 million as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and are reported as part of Accrued expenses. The Company records a contract asset when it has a right to payment from a customer that is conditioned on events other than the passage of time. The Company also records a contract liability when customers prepay but the Company has not yet satisfied its performance obligation. The Company did not ha ve any material unsatisfied performance obligations, contract assets or liabilities as of December 31, 2022 and 2021. Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) COGS, exclusive of depreciation and amortization, includes the purchase cost of goods sold net of vendor considerations, in-bound shipping costs, outbound shipping and handling costs and service costs. The Company receives vendor considerations, such as rebates to promote their products, which are generally recorded as a reduction to COGS. Rebates earned from vendors that are based on product purchases are capitalized into inventory and rebates earned based on products sold are credited directly to COGS. Selling, General and Administrative Expenses (SG&A) Company SG&A is primarily comprised of depreciation and amortization, compensation and benefit costs, indirect purchasing, supply chain and branch operations, technology, leases, restructuring, impairments, advertising and selling expenses, as well as other types of general and administrative costs. Advertising Advertising costs, which include online marketing, are generally expensed in the year the related advertisement is first presented or when incurred. Total advertising expense was $519 million, $402 million and $319 million for 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Stock Incentive Plans The Company measures all share-based payments using fair-value-based methods and records compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the vesting periods, net of estimated forfeitures. Income Taxes The Company recognizes the provision for income taxes using the asset and liability method, under which deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax basis of assets and liabilities, and for operating losses and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using the currently enacted tax rates that apply to taxable income in effect for the years in which those tax assets are expected to be realized or settled. Also, the Company evaluates deferred income taxes to determine if valuation allowances are required using a “more likely than not” standard. This assessment considers the nature, frequency and amount of book and taxable income and losses, the duration of statutory carryback and forward periods, future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences and tax planning strategies, among other matters. The Company recognizes tax benefits from uncertain tax positions only if (based on the technical merits of the position) it is more likely than not that the tax positions will be sustained on examination by the tax authority. The Company recognizes interest expense and penalties to its tax uncertainties in the provision for income taxes. Other Comprehensive Earnings (Losses) The Company's Other comprehensive earnings (losses) include foreign currency translation adjustments and unrecognized gains (losses) on postretirement and other employment-related benefit plans. Accumulated other comprehensive earnings (losses) (AOCE) are presented separately as part of shareholders' equity. Cash and Cash Equivalents The Company considers investments in highly liquid debt instruments, purchased with an original maturity of 90 days or less, to be cash equivalents. Concentration of Credit Risk The Company places temporary cash investments with institutions of high credit quality and, by policy, limits the amount of credit exposure to any one institution. Also, the Company has a broad customer base representing many diverse industries across North America, Japan and U.K. Consequently, no significant concentration of credit risk is considered to exist. Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Credit Losses The Company’s accounts receivable arises primarily from sales on credit to customers and are stated at their estimated net realizable value. The Company establishes allowances for credit losses on customer accounts that are potentially uncollectible. These allowances are determined based on several factors, including the age of the receivables, historical collection trends and economic conditions that may have an impact on a specific industry, group of customers or a specific customer. The Company establishes an allowance for credit losses to present the net amount of accounts receivable expected to be collected. The allowance is determined by using the loss-rate method, which requires an estimation of loss rates based upon historical loss experience adjusted for factors that are relevant to determining the expected collectability of accounts receivable. Some of these factors include macroeconomic conditions that correlate with historical loss experience, delinquency trends, aging behavior of receivables and credit and liquidity quality indicators for industry groups, customer classes or individual customers. Inventories Company inventories primarily consist of merchandise purchased for resale, and they are valued at the lower of cost or net realizable value. The Company uses the last-in, first-out (LIFO) method to account for approximately 73% of total inventory and the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method for the remaining inventory. The Company regularly reviews inventory to evaluate continued demand and records excess and obsolete provisions representing the difference between excess and obsolete inventories and net realizable value. Estimated net realizable value considers various variables, including product demand, aging and shelf life, market conditions, and liquidation or disposition history and values. If FIFO had been used for all of the Company’s inventories, they would have been $693 million and $510 million higher than reported as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively. Concurrently, net earnings would have increased by $139 million, $49 million and $15 million for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Property, Buildings and Equipment Property, buildings and equipment are stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is computed over the estimated useful lives of the asset classes using the straight-line method. Useful lives for buildings, structures and improvements range from 10 to 50 years and furniture, fixtures, machinery and equipment from three to 15 years. Amounts expended for maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred. Historically, Grainger had depreciated certain property, buildings and equipment using both the declining balance and sum-of-the-years’ digits methods as well as certain buildings over estimated useful lives of approximately thirty years. In accordance with its policy, the Company periodically reviews information impacting the pattern of consumption for its capital assets and useful lives to ensure that estimates of depreciation expenses are appropriate. The Company’s investment in its supply chain infrastructure and technology triggered the review of these patterns of consumption. Pursuant to the review and effective January 1, 2020, the method of estimating depreciation for certain assets was changed to the straight-line method and updated useful lives to forty and fifty years. The Company determined that these changes in depreciation method and useful lives were considered a change in accounting estimate effected by a change in accounting principle, and as such have been accounted for on a prospective basis. Grainger believes the changes to the straight-line method and useful lives are appropriate estimations of the Company's current patterns of economic consumption of its capital assets and appropriately match current revenues and costs over updated estimates of the assets' useful lives. The effect of these changes resulted in a decrease of $34 million to depreciation expense for the year ended December 2020. Depreciation expense was $139 million, $123 million and $116 million for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Long-Lived Assets The carrying value of long-lived assets, primarily property, buildings and equipment and amortizable intangibles, is evaluated whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the asset group may be impaired. An impairment loss is recognized when estimated undiscounted future cash flows resulting from use of the asset, including disposition, are less than their carrying value. Impairment is measured as the amount by which the asset's carrying amount exceeds the fair value. Leases The Company leases certain properties, buildings and equipment (including branches, warehouses, DCs and office space) under various arrangements which provide the right to use the underlying asset and require lease payments for the lease term. The Company determines if an arrangement contains a lease at inception. Leases with an initial term of more than 12 months are recorded on the balance sheet as right-of-use (ROU) assets representing the right to use the underlying asset for the lease term and the corresponding current and long-term lease liabilities representing the obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. ROU assets and lease liabilities are recognized at the lease commencement or possession date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term and include options to extend or terminate the lease when they are reasonably certain to be exercised. The present value of lease payments is determined using the incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the lease commencement date. The incremental borrowing rate, the ROU asset and the lease liability are re-evaluated upon a lease modification. Certain lease agreements include variable lease payments that primarily include payments for non-lease components including pass-through operating expenses such as certain maintenance costs and utilities, and payments for non-components such as real estate taxes and insurance. Lease agreements with fixed lease and non-lease components are generally accounted for as a single lease component for all underlying classes of assets. Certain of the Company’s lease arrangements contain renewal provisions from one to 30 years, exercisable at the Company's option. The Company’s lease agreements do not contain any material residual value guarantees or material restrictive covenants. The Company’s operating lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term and is recorded in SG&A. Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets In a business acquisition, the Company recognizes goodwill as the excess purchase price of an acquired reporting unit over the net amount assigned to assets acquired including intangible assets and liabilities assumed. Acquired intangibles include both assets with indefinite lives and assets that are subject to amortization, which are amortized straight-line over their estimated useful lives. The Company tests goodwill and indefinite-lived intangibles for impairment annually during the fourth quarter and more frequently if impairment indicators exist. The Company performs qualitative assessments of significant events and circumstances, such as reporting units' historical and current results, assumptions regarding future performance, strategic initiatives and overall economic factors to determine the existence of impairment indicators and assess if it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit or indefinite-lived intangible asset is less than its carrying value that would necessitate a quantitative impairment test. In the quantitative test, Grainger compares the carrying value of the reporting unit or an indefinite-lived intangible asset with its fair value. Any excess of the carrying value over fair value is recorded as an impairment charge, presented as part of SG&A. The fair value of reporting units is calculated primarily using the discounted cash flow method and utilizing value indicators from a market approach to evaluate the reasonableness of the resulting fair values. Estimates of market-participant risk-adjusted weighted average cost of capital are used as a basis for determining the discount rates to apply to the reporting units’ future expected cash flows and terminal value. The Company’s indefinite-lived intangibles are primarily trade names. The fair value of trade names is calculated primarily using the relief-from-royalty method, which estimates the expected royalty savings attributable to the ownership of the trade name asset. The key assumptions when valuing a trade name are the revenue base, the royalty rate and the discount rate. Additionally, the Company capitalizes certain costs related to the purchase and development of internal-use software, which are presented as intangible assets. Amortization of capitalized software is on a straight-line basis over three or five years. Accounting for Derivative Instruments The Company recognizes all derivative instruments as assets or liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets at fair value. The accounting for changes in the fair value of a derivative instrument depends on whether it has been designated and qualifies as part of a hedging relationship and, further, on the type of hedging relationship. To qualify for hedge accounting, a derivative must be highly effective at reducing the risk associated with the exposure being hedged. In addition, for a derivative to be designated as a hedge, the risk management objective and strategy must be documented. Hedge documentation must identify the derivative hedging instrument, the asset or liability or forecasted transaction, type of risk to be hedged, and how the effectiveness of the derivative is assessed prospectively and retrospectively. To assess effectiveness, the Company uses statistical methods and qualitative comparisons of critical terms. The extent to which a derivative has been and is expected to continue to be highly effective at offsetting changes in the fair value or cash flows of the hedged item is assessed and documented periodically. If it is determined that a derivative is not highly effective at hedging the designated exposure, hedge accounting is discontinued. For those derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as hedging instruments, the Company classifies them as fair value hedges or cash flow hedges. Contingencies The Company records a liability when a particular contingency is both probable and estimable. If the probable loss cannot be reasonably estimated, no accrual is recorded, but the loss contingency and the reasons to the effect that it cannot be reasonably estimated are disclosed. If a loss is reasonably possible, the Company will provide disclosure to that affect. For further discussion on the Company's contingencies, see Notes 15 and 16. New Accounting Standards Accounting Pronouncements Recently Adopted In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting as modified by subsequently issued ASU 2021-01. This update provides optional expedients and exceptions for applying GAAP to certain contract modifications and hedging relationships that reference London Inter-bank Offered Rate (LIBOR) or another reference rate expected to be discontinued. The guidance is effective upon issuance and generally can be applied prospectively to contract modifications made and hedging relationships entered or evaluated on or before December 31, 20 22. In October 2022, the FASB amended Topic 848, updating the sunset date from December 31, 2022 to December 31, 2024. Th e Company adopted this ASU on July 1, 2022 on a prospective basis and it did not have a material impact on the Consolidated Financial Statements. For further discussion on the credit agreement modifications made to the revolving credit facility, see Note 6. In November 2021, the FASB issued ASU 2021-10, Government Assistance (Topic 832): Disclosures by Business Entities about Government Assistance. This update provides increased transparency of government assistance, including the disclosure of the types of assistance an entity receives, an entity's method of accounting for government assistance and the effect of the assistance on an entity's financial statements. The guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2021 and should be applied prospectively or retrospectively. Early adoption is permitted. The Company adopted this ASU on January 1, 2022 on a prospective basis and it did not have a material impact on the Consolidated Financial Stateme nts and related disclosures.

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