Sales by Product Line (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Sales by Product Line [Abstract]

Percentages Of Net Sales By Product Line

Type	Introduced		2011			2010			2009
Fasteners1		1967		46.9	%		49.1	%		50.0	%
Tools		1993		9.4	%		9.3	%		9.9	%
Cutting tools		1996		4.6	%		4.4	%		4.4	%
Hydraulics & pneumatics		1996		7.8	%		7.2	%		6.9	%
Material handling		1996		6.1	%		6.1	%		5.9	%
Janitorial supplies		1996		6.2	%		6.1	%		6.1	%
Electrical supplies		1997		4.7	%		4.6	%		4.4	%
Welding supplies		1997		3.9	%		3.6	%		3.6	%
Safety supplies		1999		7.9	%		7.0	%		6.3	%
Metals		2001		0.5	%		0.5	%		0.6	%
Direct ship2		2004		1.6	%		1.6	%		1.8	%
Office supplies		2010		0.1	%		0.1	%		0.0	%
Other				0.3	%		0.4	%		0.1	%
				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.