The agreement Danaher made with Sears Industrial Sales to market Craftsman hand tools into the industrial, government and construction markets (article on p. 12) has sparked what some industry observers describe as a realignment of the hand tool channel. Some think it's major; others call it a minor shift. It certainly raises questions about the importance of brand, where end-users will land as far as price point, and the best way to market to an increasingly diverse and complex end-user group.

Sources tell MDM Grainger recently elected to not sell Danaher's Armstrong and Craftsman brands and recommit solely to Stanley-Proto. That makes sense when you consider that Grainger is strongly pushing its own in-house brand, and Grainger's end-users still want a premium brand. ...