Grainger, North America’s leading broad line distributor of products that businesses and institutions need to keep their facilities running, has introduced its new, free mobile app for iPhone and Android smart phones. The app provides instant access to Grainger’s 900,000 products, making it even easier for maintenance, repair and operations professionals to search for products, see account pricing, check product availability and quickly order products anywhere.

Grainger serves more than two million customers who include facility maintenance, plant, procurement and safety managers as well as contractors such as plumbers and electricians. Many of these professionals do not have easy access to desktop computers when they are on the go but still need to make purchasing decisions quickly.

“We find that many people work away from their desks. By allowing these customers access to Grainger’s products anytime and anywhere, Grainger’s mobile technology helps them work more efficiently,” said Geoffrey Robertson, Grainger Vice President of eCommerce Strategy and Planning. “We are moving beyond the standard trend of using mobile for information-gathering and leveraging it to help companies manage their workflow.”

App abilities

The new Grainger app provides a convenient and personalized experience with easy access to information on Grainger products. Through the new mobile app, Grainger customers can:

  • Browse through and purchase from Grainger’s entire product assortment;
  • Use Real-Time Product Availability to find out when a product will ship or if it is available for pickup at a nearby Grainger branch;
  • Find the nearest Grainger branch based on location;
  • Manage purchase order workflow — accept, reject or forward orders made by multiple staff members using My Inbox;
  • Receive notifications when orders ship or are pending approval;
  • Find products using voice search;
  • Get prompt access to frequently purchased items through My Lists;
  • Access orders placed online within the last six months to check order status and reorder using My Orders; and
  • Use either a computer or mobile device to access shopping carts and place orders through an integrated shopping cart.

The iPhone version of the Grainger mobile app is available at the Apple App Store and the Android version of the app is available on Google Play.

W.W. Grainger, Inc. with 2011 sales of $8.1 billion is North America’s leading broad line supplier of maintenance, repair and operating products, with expanding global operations. For more information, visit grainger.com/pressroom.