POWER OF ATTORNEY

Know all by these presents that, the undersigned hereby
constitutes and appoints each of John L. Howard, Nicholas
Eichenseer, and J. Colin McGee, signing singly, the
undersigned's true and lawful attorney-in-fact to:

(1) execute for and on behalf of the undersigned Forms 3, 4, 5 and 144
relating to equity securities of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (the "Company")
in accordance with Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
and the rules and regulations thereunder and Rule 144 under the
Securities Act of 1933;

(2) do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the undersigned
which may be necessary or desirable to complete any such Form 3, 4, 5, or 144
and timely file the same with the United States Securities and Exchange
Commission and any stock exchange or similar authority; and

(3) take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection with the
foregoing which, in the opinion of the attorney-in-fact, may be of benefit
to, in the best interest of, or legally required by, the undersigned,
it being understood that the documents executed by the attorney-in-fact
on behalf of the undersigned pursuant to this Power of Attorney shall be
in such form and shall contain such terms and conditions as the
attorney-in-fact may approve in his or her discretion.

The undersigned hereby grants to each attorney-in-fact full power and
authority to do and perform any and every act and thing whatsoever
requisite, necessary or proper to be done in the exercise of any of the
rights and powers herein granted, as fully to all intents and purposes
as the attorney-in-fact might or could do if personally present, with full
power of substitution or revocation, hereby ratifying and confirming all that
the attorney-in-fact, or his or her substitute or substitutes, shall lawfully
do or cause to be done by virtue of this Power of Attorney and the rights and
powers herein granted.

The undersigned acknowledges that the attorneys-in-fact, in serving
in such capacity at the request of the undersigned, is assuming, nor is
the Company assuming, any of the undersigned's responsibilities to comply to
comply with Section 16 of the Exchange Act of 1934 or Rule 144 under the
Securities Act of 1933.

This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect until the
undersigned is no longer required to file Forms 3, 4, 5, and 144 with
respect to the undersigned's holdings of and transactions in equity
securities of the Company, unless earlier revoked by the undersigned
in a signed writing delivered to the attorneys-in-fact.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to
be executed as of the 21st day of July, 2022 and revokes any previously
adopted power of attorney with respect to the rights and powers herein
granted.

/s/Deidra C. Merriwether
Deidra C. Merriwether