MonotaRO

MonotaRO Co., Ltd.
TYO: 3064
IndustryInternet, online retailing
FoundedOctober 19, 2000 (2000-10-19)
Headquarters
Amagasaki, Hyogo
,
Japan
Key people
Masaya Suzuki (President)
Revenue¥34.556 billion (FY2013)[1]
¥3.885 billion (FY2013)[1]
¥2.289 billion (FY2013)[1]
Total assets¥14.505 billion (FY2013)[1]
Total equity¥7.282 billion (FY2013)[1]
ParentW. W. Grainger, Inc.
Websitewww.monotaro.com

MonotaRO Co., Ltd., is a Japanese e-commerce company of industrial supply products based in Hyogo, Japan. The company was named to Forbes Asia "Best Under A Billion" list in 2013.[2]

Overview

MonotaRO sells Maintenance, repair, and operations products through internet and catalogs, targeting small and mid-sized manufacturing companies. MonotaRO sells various product categories such as personal protective equipment, hand tools, fasteners, and lab supplies. It has more than 1 million customers in Japan.

The company name MonotaRO is an acronym for Maintenance, Repair & Operations. It also means to have sufficient number of products in Japanese. It is also a play on the name of the Japanese hero Momotaro.

Global expansion

In 2013, MonotaRO began web-based sales in Singapore. In 2014 web-based sales expanded to Malaysia, Thailand, and Australia. Now they ship to following countries. (countries names are arranged alphabetically)[3]

  • Bangladesh
  • Bhutan
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Cambodia
  • Cook Islands
  • East Timor
  • Fiji
  • Indonesia
  • Kiribati
  • Lao People's Democratic Republic
  • Malaysia
  • Maldives
  • Marshall Islands
  • Micronesia, Federated States of
  • Mongolia
  • Nauru
  • Nepal
  • Pakistan
  • Palau
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Philippines
  • Samoa
  • Singapore
  • Solomon Islands
  • Sri Lanka
  • Taiwan
  • Thailand
  • Tonga
  • Tuvalu
  • Vanuatu
  • Vietnam
  • India

History

  • 2000 - Sumitomo and W. W. Grainger, Inc. founded a company as joint venture in Japan
  • 2001 - Website launch, which began and nationwide sales
  • 2004 - Start selling private label (MonotaRO, Otokomae-MonotaRO, and Osaka-Spirit)
  • 2006 - Launch IHC MonotaRO, targeting private use customers
  • 2006 - Listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange
  • 2009 - W. W. Grainger, Inc. acquired a majority ownership of the company[4]
  • 2013 - Started service in Singapore
  • 2014 - Started service in Malaysia, Thailand, and Australia

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Consolidated Financial Results for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31)" (PDF). MonotaRO Co., Ltd. 2014-01-29. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-02-21. Retrieved 2013-02-15.
  2. ^ "W.W. Grainger, Inc. - Home".
  3. ^ "Monotaro | Online Tool Shop - Best Price and Quality".
  4. ^ "W.W. Grainger, Inc. - Home".