Company Update

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