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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549

FORM 10-K

FOR ANNUAL AND TRANSITION REPORTS PUSUANT TO SECTIONS 13 OR 15(d)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

(Mark One)

For the fiscal year ended August 30, 2003

OR

For the transition period from                               to                              

Commission file number 1-14130

MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO., INC.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

(516) 812-2000
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

WEBSITE: WWW.MSCDIRECT.COM

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

        Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ý    No o

        Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. o

        Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 12b-2. Yes ý    No o

        As of November 5, 2003, 33,837,489 shares of Class A Common Stock and 32,137,294 shares of Class B Common Stock of the registrant were outstanding and the aggregate market value of Class A Common Stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant was approximately $817,524,078.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

        The registrant's Proxy Statement for its 2004 annual meeting of stockholders is hereby incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form 10-K.

MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO., INC.
INDEX TO ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K
FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
YEAR ENDED AUGUST 30, 2003

ITEMS IN FORM 10-K

PART I.

ITEM 1.    BUSINESS.

        This Annual Report on Form 10-K (including Item 1 ("Business") and Item 7 ("Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations")) contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and the Company intends that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe harbors created thereby. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding future events and our plans, goals and objectives. Such statements are generally accompanied by words such as "believe," "anticipate," "think," "intend," "estimate," "expect," or similar terms. Our actual results may differ materially from such statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, without limitation, changing market conditions, competitive and regulatory matters, general economic conditions in the markets in which the Company operates, risk of cancellation or rescheduling of orders, work stoppages at transportation centers or shipping ports, the risks of war, terrorism, and similar hostilities, and availability of acquisition opportunities. Although the Company believes that the assumptions underlying its forward-looking statements are reasonable, any of the assumptions could prove inaccurate and, therefore, the Company cannot make any assurances that the results contemplated in such forward-looking statements will be realized. The inclusion of such forward-looking information should not be regarded as a representation by the Company or any other person that the future events, plans or expectations contemplated by the Company will be achieved. Furthermore, past performance is not necessarily an indicator of future performance.

General

        MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. (together with its consolidated subsidiaries, "MSC" or the "Company" or "we") is one of the largest direct marketers of a broad range of industrial products to industrial customers throughout the United States. We distribute a full line of industrial products intended to satisfy our customers' maintenance, repair and operations ("MRO") supplies requirements. We offer over 500,000 stock-keeping units ("SKUs") through our master catalogs, weekly, monthly and quarterly specialty and promotional catalogs, newspapers and brochures and service our customers from approximately 90 branch offices and four distribution centers. Most of our products are carried in stock, and orders for these in-stock products are typically fulfilled the day on which the order is received.

        Our business strategy is to provide an integrated, low cost solution to the purchasing, management and administration of our customers' MRO needs. We believe we add value to our customers' purchases by reducing their total MRO supplies costs, taking into account both the direct cost of products and the administrative, personnel and financial cost of obtaining and maintaining MRO supplies. We try to achieve this reduction in MRO supplies costs in the following manner:

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Our extensive product offerings allow customers to reduce the administrative burden of dealing with many suppliers for their MRO needs.



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We guarantee same-day shipping of our core business products, which enables our customers to reduce their inventory investment and carrying costs.



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We consolidate multiple purchases into a single order, provide a single invoice relating to multiple purchases over varying periods of time and offer direct shipments to specific departments and personnel within a single facility or multiple facilities, allowing our customers to reduce administrative paperwork, costs of shipping and personnel costs related to internal distribution and purchase order management.

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We have extensive E-commerce abilities that enable our customers to lower their procurement costs. This includes many features such as swift search and transaction abilities, access to real time inventory, customer specific pricing, workflow management tools and other features. We can also interface directly with many purchasing portals such as ARIBA and I-Procure. In addition we offer Vendor Managed Inventory ("VMI") systems that can lower customers' inventory investment, reduce sourcing costs and out of stock situations and increase business efficiency.

        Our customers include a wide range of purchasers of industrial supply products, from one-person machine shops to Fortune 1000 companies, to government agencies including the United States Postal Service ("USPS"). Our core business focuses on selling relatively higher margin, lower volume products and had an average order size of approximately $224 in fiscal 2003. We have in excess of 343,000 combined active customers (companies that have purchased at least one item during the past 12 months). Our customers select desired products from MSC's various publications and place their orders by telephone, the Internet, direct computer link or facsimile.

        We operate primarily in the United States, with customers in all 50 states, through a network of four regional distribution centers and approximately 90 branch offices. MSC's distribution centers are located near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Atlanta, Georgia; Elkhart, Indiana and Reno, Nevada. The strategic locations of MSC's distribution centers allow for next day ground delivery via low cost ground carriers in 36 states. Our experience has been that areas accessible by next day ground delivery generate significantly greater sales than areas where next day ground delivery is not available. Accordingly, our long-term strategy is to expand our geographic coverage of next day ground delivery throughout the continental United States which at some point in the future may require the expansion of existing facilities or the opening of new facilities.

Industry Overview

        MSC operates in a large, fragmented industry characterized by multiple channels of distribution. We believe that there are numerous small retailers, dealerships and distributors, most of which have annual sales of less than $15 million, that supply a majority of the market. The distribution channels in the industrial products market include retail outlets, small distributorships, national, regional and local distributors, direct mail suppliers, large warehouse stores and manufacturers' own sales forces.

        Almost every industrial, manufacturing and service business has an ongoing need for MRO supplies. We believe that, except in the largest industrial plants, MRO supplies inventories generally are not effectively managed or monitored, resulting in higher purchasing costs and increased administrative burdens. In addition, within larger facilities, such items are frequently stored in multiple locations, resulting in excess inventories and duplicate purchase orders. MRO items are also frequently purchased by multiple personnel in uneconomic quantities and a substantial portion of most facilities' MRO supplies are "one-time purchases," resulting in higher purchasing costs and time-consuming administrative efforts by multiple plant personnel.

        We believe that the administrative costs associated with manually placing a purchase order can be in excess of $100 per order (based on industry estimates). Awareness of these high costs and purchasing inefficiencies has been driving large companies to streamline the purchasing process by utilizing a limited number of suppliers which can provide a broad selection of products, prompt delivery and superior customer service. Customized billing practices and report generation capabilities tailored to customer objectives are also becoming increasingly important to customers seeking to reduce costs, allowing such customers to significantly reduce the need for purchasing agents and administrative personnel. We believe that industry trends and economic pressures have caused customers to reduce their supplier base and move toward more efficient cost saving models, such as those offered by premier companies such as MSC.

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        Despite the inefficiencies of the traditional MRO purchasing process, long-standing relationships with local retailers and distributors have generally perpetuated the status quo. Due to limited capital availability, high operating cost structures and relatively small sales volumes, suppliers to the industrial market are experiencing increasing pressure to consolidate and curtail services and certain product lines in order to remain competitive. This trend has been exacerbated by the prolonged slowdown in United States manufacturing activity. Even large suppliers with extensive field sales forces are finding it increasingly difficult to visit all buyers cost-effectively and provide the support necessary to satisfy customer demands for control of costs and improved efficiency. We believe that the relative inability of traditional distribution channels to respond to these changing industry dynamics has created a continuing opportunity for the growth of direct marketing organizations such as MSC. As a result of these dynamics, we have captured an increasing share of sales by providing lower total purchasing costs, broader product selection and a higher level of service.

        We believe that we provide a low cost solution to the purchasing inefficiencies and high costs described above. Customers that purchase products from us will generally find that their total purchasing and shipping costs, inventory investment and carrying costs, internal distribution costs and administrative inefficiencies are reduced. We try to achieve this through:

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consolidation of multiple sources of supply into fewer suppliers;



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consolidation of multiple purchase orders into a single purchase order;



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consolidation of multiple invoices into a single invoice;



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significant reduction in tracking of invoices;



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significant reduction in stocking decisions;



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reduction of purchases for inventory;



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e-commerce capabilities.

Business Strategy

        Our business strategy is to reduce our customers' total cost of procurement for obtaining and maintaining MRO supplies. The strategy includes the following key elements:

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a broad selection of in-stock products;



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offering both name brand and generic products;



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prompt response and same-day shipping;



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superior, value-added customer service;



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competitive pricing;



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targeted direct mail marketing; and



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a commitment to technological innovation.

        Broad Selection of Products.    We believe that our ability to offer customers a broad spectrum of brand name and generic MRO products and a "good-better-best" product selection alternative has been critical to our success. We offer similar products with varying degrees of name recognition, quality and price, thus permitting the customer to choose the appropriate product based on cost, quality and the customer's specific needs. Our customers are increasingly purchasing from fewer suppliers to reduce the administrative burden of ordering from multiple suppliers. By offering for sale over 500,000 products, most of which generally are in stock and available for immediate shipment, we aim to provide a broad range of merchandise in order to become our customers' preferred supplier of MRO products.

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        Same-Day Shipping.    Our guaranteed same-day shipping of products results in delivery the next day or second day for customers in most of the continental United States. This prompt delivery allows customers to reduce the administrative burden of dealing with many suppliers and reduces their inventory investment and carrying costs. We fulfill our same-day shipment guarantee more than 99.9% of the time. Our experience has been that areas accessible by next day ground delivery will generate significantly greater sales than areas where next day ground delivery is not available. The strategic locations of our distribution centers allow next day ground delivery via low cost ground carriers in 36 states.

        Superior Customer Service.    Customer service is a key element in becoming a customer's preferred provider of MRO supplies. Our commitment to customer service is demonstrated by our investment in sophisticated information systems and extensive training of our associates. Utilizing our proprietary customer support software, our in-bound sales representatives implement the "one call does it all" philosophy. In-bound sales representatives are able to inform customers on a real time basis of the availability of a product, recommend substitute products, verify credit information, receive special, custom or manufacturer direct orders, cross-check inventory items using customer product codes previously entered into our information systems and arrange technical assistance. We believe that our simple, one-call method of fulfilling all purchasing needs of a customer through highly-trained customer service representatives, supported by our proprietary information systems, results in greater efficiency for customers and increased customer satisfaction. To complement our customer service, we seek to ease the administrative burdens on our customers by offering customized billing services, customer savings reports and other customized report features, electronic data interchange ordering, e-commerce capabilities, bulk discounts and stocking of specialty items specifically requested by customers.

        Targeted Direct Mail Marketing Strategy.    Our primary tools for marketing and product reference are the annual master catalogs used to showcase over 500,000 items. In fiscal 2003, our master catalogs were supplemented by 91 specialty and promotional catalogs and brochures covering such specialty areas as cutting tools, measuring instruments, tooling components and maintenance and repair, industrial supply, and hose and tubing. We use our database of approximately 1.5 million companies with 1.9 million individual contacts, and also purchase mailing lists of prospective customers, to target the distribution of these various publications to specific individuals within an organization whose purchasing history or other criteria suggest receptiveness to mailings of specific publication titles. The use of specialty and promotional publications, which are produced in-house, has resulted in increased productivity through lower costs, increased response rates and more efficient use of advertising space. MSC's publication circulation decreased from 37.7 million in fiscal 2001 to approximately 33.5 million in fiscal 2003. This planned decrease in mailings is in line with our continuing strategy to increase the productivity of our direct marketing efforts and increase overall return on advertising dollars spent.

        Commitment to Technological Innovation.    We take advantage of technological innovations to support growth, improve customer service and to reduce our operating costs through more effective buying practices, automated inventory replenishment and efficient order fulfillment operations. MSC's proprietary software tracks all of the SKUs (over 500,000) and enables the customer and the sales representatives to determine the availability of products in stock on a real-time basis and to evaluate alternative products and pricing. MSC's website MSCDirect.com is a searchable on-line catalog with electronic ordering capabilities designed to take advantage of the opportunities created by Internet commerce. The MSCDirect.com site offers a broad array of products, services, workflow management tools and related information to meet the needs of customers seeking to reduce process costs through Internet e-commerce-enabled solutions. For those customers who do not have internet access, we continue to offer our Customer Direct Access Plus System which allows a customer to order products directly, set purchase limits for particular buyers, run customized reports of purchasing history and select from a variety of billing options. Our information systems have been designed to enhance inventory management and turnover, customer service and cost reduction for both MSC and our

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customers. In addition to internal and customer information systems, we continually upgrade our distribution methods and systems to improve productivity and efficiency. We also provide a comprehensive EDI ordering system to support our customer based purchase order processing. We have recently introduced our Vendor Managed Inventory ("VMI") system. Each bin item in the customer's on site stockroom is bar coded and scanned into our VMI system. The customer monitors the inventory levels and replenishes any item simply by scanning the bar code. The order is then electronically downloaded into our Sales Order Entry system thereby enabling the customer to lower their procurement costs and maintain lower inventory levels.

Growth Strategy

        Our objective is to become the preferred supplier of industrial products for companies throughout the United States. We intend to increase sales to existing customers and diversify our customer base by:

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expanding next day ground delivery into new markets;



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targeting the circulation of the master catalog and our direct mail campaign;



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developing government and national account programs;



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increasing the number of product lines and SKUs offered including generic and imported products;



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continually developing technological innovations employing modern technologies to reduce our customers' costs and utilizing extensive e-commerce capabilities, making it even easier and more appealing to do business with MSC;



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maintaining excellent customer support service; and



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increasing the productivity of our direct sales force.

        Expanding next day ground delivery.    Our experience has been that sales in areas accessible by next day ground delivery are significantly greater than in areas with second day delivery. Accordingly, our long-term goal is to expand our geographic coverage of next day ground delivery throughout the United States, which at some point in the future may require the expansion of existing facilities or the opening of new facilities.

        Targeted circulation of our master catalog and direct mail campaign.    We have accumulated a buyer database of approximately 1.5 million companies with 1.9 million individual contacts, and industry expertise within specific markets. We utilize empirical information from this database to prospect for new customers, thereby increasing the circulation of our master catalogs. We supplement our master catalogs with direct mailings of specialty and promotional publications to further increase customer response and product purchases. Industry specific expertise is used to target customer growth areas and focus sales and marketing campaigns.

        Develop Government and National Account Programs.    The Company has developed internal government and national account programs to meet the specific needs of these types of customers. We believe that significant growth opportunities exist within these segments and that they are an integral part of our customer diversification program. This allocation of resources will allow the Company to better support these customers, expand our customer acquisition activities and is a key component of our overall growth strategy.

        Increasing the Number of Product Lines and SKUs.    We believe that continuing to increase the breadth of our product line and providing high levels of customer service are effective methods of increasing sales to current customers and attracting new customers. By expanding the product lines and SKUs offered within existing product categories, we seek to satisfy an increasing percentage of the

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supplies purchases of our customers and to attract new customers. To continue to provide a diverse product line and maintain profit margins in our competitive market place, the Company has sought out vendors to supply higher margin generic and imported products. In fiscal 2003, we added approximately 30,000 SKUs, which is the net result of new SKU additions reduced by deletions of older slow moving SKU items, and currently have over 500,000 SKUs in total. We generally add SKUs in response to the feedback we receive from our existing customers.

        E-commerce capabilities.    MSCDirect.com is a proprietary business-to-business horizontal marketplace serving the industrial market that offers customers full access to our catalog, and all orders placed online at MSCDirect.com are backed by our same-day shipping guarantee. MSCDirect.com utilizes the same highly trained sales force and support services as MSC's traditional business, emphasizing MSC's values of placing customers needs first. It is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week providing real-time inventory availability, superior search capabilities, on-line bill payment, delivery tracking status and a number of other enhancements including work flow management tools. The user-friendly search engine allows customers to order by description, vendor or brand. We believe MSCDirect.com is a key component of our strategy to reduce customers' MRO transaction costs and internal requisition time. The site also allows customers to control which of their staff are entitled to purchase products online, how much they are entitled to spend and which staff require secondary approval. The process is fully automated and integrated into our back-end systems. Most orders move directly from the customers' desktop to the distribution center floor, removing human error, reducing handling costs and speeding up the transaction flow. MSC continues to evaluate our site and solicit customer feedback, making on-going improvements targeted at allowing MSCDirect.com to remain one of the premier sites in its marketplace. Our MSCDirect.com marketing campaign continued in fiscal year 2003 to raise awareness and drive volume to the website. MSCDirect.com generated revenue of more than $90 million in fiscal year 2003, a 49% increase over the prior year.

        E-commerce portals sell a suite of e-commerce products designed to meet the needs of businesses seeking reduced costs and increased effectiveness of their MRO/direct materials process by using Internet-enabled solutions. We have associations with many of these portals including, among others, Ariba, Perfect Commerce, Oracle, SAP and I-Procure. We continue to evaluate and expand our capabilities in these areas, when they can provide value for our customers.

        Maintain Excellent Customer Support Service.    Our goal is to anticipate a customer's service needs. We are continuing to proactively expand the services that we provide and respond and build programs at customer requests. Our "one call does it all" philosophy continues to be the cornerstone of our service model even as the complexity of the needs of our customers continues to grow. This focus on our customers' needs provide a market differentiator, which enables us to retain existing customers and grow our customer base.

        Increasing the productivity of our direct sales force.    We believe that improving sales force productivity can have a positive effect on our sales per customer. The focus is to enable our sales force to spend more time with our customers and provide increased support during the MRO purchasing process thereby capturing more of their MRO spend.

Products

        We currently offer over 500,000 SKUs, representing a broad range of MRO (including metal working) product lines that include: cutting tools; measuring instruments; tooling components; fasteners; flat stock, raw materials; abrasives; machinery hand and power tools, safety, janitorial, plumbing, material handling, power transmission, electrical supplies as well as other categories. We attribute a portion of our sales growth to the total number of SKUs offered, which helps our customers reduce the number of suppliers they use to meet their MRO needs. In this regard, we intend to continue to add new products to our existing product categories. Our offering of specific products from

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multiple manufacturers at different prices and quality levels permits us to offer a "good-better-best" product selection alternative. This alternative provides similar product offerings with varying degrees of name recognition, quality and price enabling the customer to choose the appropriate product for a specific task on the most cost-effective basis. MSC seeks to distinguish itself from its competition through offering both name brand and generic products and significant depth in its core product lines while maintaining competitive pricing.

        Our in-bound sales representatives and technical support personnel are trained to assist customers in making intelligent cost-saving purchases. We believe this approach results in significant amounts of repeat business and is an integral part of our strategy to reduce our customers' industrial supply costs.

        We purchase substantially all of our products directly from approximately 2,600 suppliers. We are not materially dependent on any one supplier or small group of suppliers. No one single supplier accounted for more than 5% of our total purchases in fiscal 2003. Generic products are manufactured by third parties to our specifications.

Distribution Centers

        A significant number of our products are carried in stock, and approximately 85% of sales are fulfilled from the distribution centers or branch offices. Certain products, such as specialty or custom items and some very large orders, are shipped directly from the manufacturer. Our distribution centers are managed via computer-based SKU tracking systems and radio frequency devices that facilitate the location of specific stock items to make the picking process more efficient. We have invested significant resources in technology and automation to increase efficiency and reduce costs, and continually monitor our order fulfillment process. We currently utilize four distribution centers for product shipment located near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Atlanta, Georgia; Elkhart, Indiana and Reno, Nevada.

Sales and Marketing

        Our customers include a broad range of purchasers of industrial supply products, from one-man machine shops, to Fortune 1000 companies, to government agencies including the USPS. Our core business focuses on selling relatively higher margin, lower volume products and has an average order size of approximately $224 in fiscal 2003. We market to small, medium and large companies in a wide range of sectors, including but not limited to durable and non-durable goods manufacturing (which accounted for 73% of the Company's revenue in fiscal 2003), education, government and health care. We also have government and national account programs designed to address the needs of these customers.

        One focus area for our sales force is the execution of new contracts with both the General Services Administration ("GSA") and the USPS. We believe that expanding our business with government agencies will assist us to better manage periodic downturns in the manufacturing industry, as have been recently experienced. These national relationships are for MRO products and are well matched to MSC's product breadth and depth. GSA customers include military bases, veteran's hospitals, federal correctional facilities, army corps of engineers facilities, etc. The USPS Contract connects MSC to over 37,000 Postal Facilities nation-wide, including bulk mail centers, processing centers, vehicle maintenance facilities, post offices and more.

        We also plan to continue our successful strategy of growing national account sales through the acquisition of new and penetration of existing accounts. The MSC value proposition is consistent with the procurement strategies of large, Fortune 1000 corporations as they attempt to reduce their supply base and drive costs out of their supply chain. By adding national accounts we are able to diversify into new customer segments, strengthen our MRO product lines and acquire the scale that helps the company achieve our purchasing goals.

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        One of our subsidiaries also offers wholesalers and other distributors the ability to create their own customized mail order catalog by offering to MSC customers turnkey marketing programs, including promotional mailers. Any resulting orders are serviced directly by MSC, which stocks and ships the products under the customer's program. Another division of MSC offers a line of lower priced products to the budget-oriented customer.

        We have in excess of 343,000 combined active customers (companies which have purchased at least once during the past 12 months). Typically, a customer's industrial supply purchases are managed by several buyers responsible for different categories of products. We target these individual buyers within an organization and distribute publications corresponding to the product categories for which such buyers are responsible. We are able to implement this directmarketing strategy because of the depth of customer information contained in our information systems databases. Our customers select desired products from our various publications and place their orders by telephone, facsimile, Internet or direct computer link.

        We have invested significant resources in developing an extensive customer and prospect database. This database is a key component of our growth strategy. The customer and prospect database includes detailed information, including company size, number of employees, industry, various demographic and geographic characteristics and personal purchase histories (catalog preference, product preference, order value). We believe that the variety and depth of information on our customers and prospects offers us a significant competitive advantage in increasing sales to existing customers and attracting new customers.

        We rely on approximately 570 in-bound sales representatives at our call centers, distribution centers and branch offices, who are responsible for substantially all customer contacts and order entries. These sales representatives are highly trained individuals who build relationships with customers, assist customers in reducing costs, provide technical support, coordinate special orders and shipments with vendors and update customer account profiles in our information systems databases. Our "one call does it all" philosophy is predicated on the ability of the sales representative, utilizing our information systems' comprehensive databases as a resource, to respond effectively to the customer's needs. When a customer places a call to MSC, the sales representative taking the call has immediate access to that customer's company and specific buyer profile, as well as inventory levels by distribution center on all of SKUs offered by MSC. The customer's profile includes historical and current billing information, historical purchasing information and plant and industry information.

        MSC's in-bound sales representatives at our call centers undergo an intensive two-week training course, are required to attend regular on-site training seminars and workshops, and are monitored and evaluated at regular intervals. Additionally, the sales representatives are divided into teams that are evaluated monthly and monitored on a daily basis by team supervisors. Sales representatives receive technical training regarding various products from vendors and in-house training specialists. We also maintain a separate technical support group dedicated to answering specific customer inquiries and assisting customers with the operation of products and finding low cost solutions to manufacturing problems.

        Approximately 430 direct sales representatives work out of our branches to drive a significant portion of our sales. They are responsible for increasing sales per customer and servicing existing customers. The sales representatives accomplish this by taking our product offering, distribution capabilities, customer service models and value added programs directly to the customer. These associates are the touch-point to the customer and provide the organization feedback on competitive landscape, purchasing trends and help to drive process and service improvement in order for MSC to retain and increase our market position.

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Branch Offices

        We currently operate approximately 90 branch offices located in 36 states. We have experienced higher sales growth and market penetration in areas where we have established a branch office and believe our branch offices are important to the success of our business strategy of obtaining and penetrating new and existing accounts.

Publications

        Our primary reference tool is our annual 4,640 page master catalog, which is supported by specialty and promotional catalogs and brochures. We use specialty and promotional publications to target customers in specific areas, such as welding, electrical supply and hose and tubing. We distribute specialty and promotional catalogs and brochures based on information in our databases and purchased mailing lists to customers whose purchasing history or profile suggests that they are most likely to purchase according to specific product categories or product promotions. Consequently, specialty catalogs offer a more focused selection of products at a lower catalog production cost and more efficient use of advertising space.

        MSC's in-house marketing staff designs and produces all of our catalogs, brochures and newspapers. Each publication is printed with photographs, contains detailed product descriptions and includes a toll-free telephone number to be used by customers to place a product order. In-house production helps reduce overall expense and shortens production time, allowing us the flexibility to alter our product offerings and pricing and refine our catalog, brochure more quickly.

        As reflected in the following table, the number of publication titles has decreased from approximately 105 in fiscal 2001 to approximately 91 in fiscal 2003. The number of pieces mailed has decreased from approximately 37.7 million in fiscal 2001 to approximately 33.5 million in fiscal 2003. The decrease in circulation and number of publications are a result of our ongoing strategy to increase direct mail productivity and increase overall return on advertising dollars spent.

Customer Service

        One of our goals is to make purchasing our products as convenient as possible. Since a majority of customer orders are placed by telephone, the efficient handling of calls is an extremely important aspect of our business. Order entry and fulfillment occurs at each of our branches and main call centers located at our four distribution centers. Calls are received by telemarketing representatives who utilize on-line terminals to enter customer orders into computerized order processing systems. Our telephone ordering system is flexible and, in the event of a local or regional breakdown, can be re-routed to alternative locations. When an order is entered into the system, a credit check is performed, and, if the credit is approved, the order is electronically transmitted to the distribution center closest to the customer and a packing slip is printed for order fulfillment. We believe that our relationships with all our carriers are satisfactory. We guarantee same-day shipping of in-stock products if the order is received prior to regional cut-off times and most customers receive their orders (other than custom items and large industrial items shipped directly by the manufacturer) within one or two business days of the order date. Customers are invoiced for merchandise, shipping and handling promptly after shipment.

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Information Systems

        Our proprietary information systems allow centralized management of key functions, including communication links between distribution centers, inventory and accounts receivable management, purchasing, pricing, sales and distribution, and the preparation of daily operating control reports that provide concise and timely information regarding key aspects of our business. These proprietary information systems enable us to ship to customers on a same-day basis, respond quickly to order changes, provide a high level of customer service, achieve cost savings, deliver superior customer service and manage our operations centrally. Our proprietary information systems are also a key component of our e-commerce capabilities.

        Certain of our information systems operate over a wide area network and are real-time information systems that allow each distribution center and branch office to share information and monitor daily progress relating to sales activity, credit approval, inventory levels, stock balancing, vendor returns, order fulfillment and other measures of performance. We maintain a sophisticated buying and inventory management system that monitors substantially all of our SKUs and automatically purchases inventory from vendors for replenishment based on projected customer ordering models. We also maintain an electronic data interchange (EDI) purchasing program with our vendors with the objective of allowing us to place orders more efficiently, reduce order cycle processing time, and increase the accuracy of orders placed.

        In addition to developing the proprietary computer software programs for use in the telemarketing and distribution operations, we have also developed a proprietary MRO management system, the Customer Direct Access Plus System or "CDA." CDA is designed for customers who, for security or operational reasons, do not have access to the internet, and is intended to automate, simplify and control the administration and management of MRO purchasing by giving the customer direct access to our information and ordering systems for automatic product selection, customization of purchasing parameters, and a variety of report generation and product tracking capabilities. CDA also provides cross-referencing capability to a customer's own product stock numbers for ease of ordering. We also provide a comprehensive EDI ordering system to support our customer based purchase order processing. In addition, we have developed a Windows®-based CD-ROM electronic catalog package and we provide product information and ordering capabilities on the Internet. MSC also supports a proprietary hardware and software platform in support of its VMI (Vendor Managed Inventory) initiative that provides for back-end integration of off-site scanner-accumulated orders directly into our Sales Order Entry system.

        We run our systems on an AS400 platform and utilize disaster recovery techniques and procedures, which we believe are adequate to fulfill our needs and are consistent with this type of equipment. We believe that planned enhancements and upgrades to the next generation of our existing operating platforms will be sufficient to sustain our present operations and our anticipated growth for the foreseeable future.

Competition

        The MRO supply industry is a large, fragmented industry that is highly competitive. We face competition from traditional channels of distribution such as retail outlets, small dealerships, regional or national distributors utilizing direct sales forces, manufacturers of MRO supplies, large warehouse stores and larger direct mail distributors. We believe that sales of MRO supplies will become more concentrated over the next few years, which may make the industry more competitive. Our competitors challenge us with a greater variety of product offerings, financial resources, services or a combination of all of these factors. In the industrial products market, customer purchasing decisions are primarily based on one or more of the following criteria: price, product selection, product availability, level of service and convenience. We believe we compete effectively on all such criteria.

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Associates

        As of October 21, 2003, we employed approximately 2,853 associates, including approximately 2,691 full-time and approximately 162 part-time associates. No associate is represented by a labor union. We consider our relationships with associates to be good and have experienced no work stoppages.

Available Information

        We file annual, quarterly and current reports, information statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). The public may read and copy any materials we file with the SEC at the SEC's Public Reference Room at 450 Fifth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20549. The public may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC also maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. The address of that site is http://www.sec.gov.

        The Company's Internet address is www.mscdirect.com. We make available on or through our investor relations page on our web site, free of charge, our Annual Report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and beneficial ownership reports on Forms 3, 4, and 5 and amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably practicable after this material is electronically filed or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Risk Factors

        In addition to the other information in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the following factors should be considered in evaluating the Company and its business. Our future operating results depend upon many factors and are subject to various risks and uncertainties. The known material risks and uncertainties which may cause our operating results to vary from anticipated results or which may negatively affect our operating results and profitability are as follows:

Changes in our customer and product mix could cause our gross margin percentage to fluctuate.

        From time to time we have experienced changes in our customer mix and in our product mix since our formation. Changes in our customer mix have resulted from geographic expansion, daily selling activities within current geographic markets, and targeted selling activities to new customer segments. Changes in our product mix have resulted from marketing activities to existing customers and needs communicated to us from existing and prospective customers. Although we have been successful in incrementally increasing our gross margin percentage by varying our customer and product mix over the last several years and our strategy has emphasized higher margin, lower volume orders, changes in our customer and product mix could cause our gross margin percentage to fluctuate or decline from time to time in the future.

Our industry is consolidating which could cause it to become more competitive.

        The business of selling MRO supplies in North America is currently undergoing some consolidation. This consolidation is being driven by customer needs and supplier capabilities, which could cause the industry to become more competitive as greater economies of scale are achieved by suppliers.

        Traditional MRO suppliers are attempting to consolidate the market through internal expansion, through acquisition or merger with other industrial and construction suppliers, or through a combination of both. This consolidation allows suppliers to improve efficiency and spread fixed costs over a greater number of sales, and to achieve other benefits derived from economies of scale.

11

        Customers are increasingly aware of the total costs of fulfillment, and of their need to have consistent sources of supply at multiple locations. Consistent sources of supply provide not just reliable product quantities, but also consistent pricing, quality, services and engineering capabilities. We believe these customer needs could result in fewer suppliers as the industry consolidates, and as the remaining suppliers become larger and capable of being a consistent source of supply.

        The trend of our industry toward consolidation could make it more difficult for us to maintain our operating margins. There can be no assurance that we will be able to take advantage of the trend or that we can do so effectively.

        In addition, as various sectors of the industrial and construction customer base face increased foreign competition, and in fact lose business to foreign competitors or shift their operations overseas in an effort to reduce expenses, we may face increased difficulty in growing and maintaining our market share and growth prospects.

We operate in a highly competitive industry.

        The MRO supply industry is a large, fragmented industry that is highly competitive. We face competition from traditional channels of distribution such as retail outlets, small dealerships, regional or national distributors utilizing direct sales forces, manufacturers of MRO supplies, large warehouse stores and larger direct mail distributors. We believe that sales of MRO supplies will become more concentrated over the next few years, which may make the industry more competitive. Our competitors challenge us with a greater variety of product offerings, financial resources, services or a combination of all of these factors.

        Although we have recently had success in diversifying our customer base, which we believe will assist us to better manage periodic downturns in the manufacturing industry, there can be no assurance that sales to these additional customers will offset the adverse effects of other competitive trends in our industry, including those discussed above.

The risk of cancellation or rescheduling of orders may cause our operating results to fluctuate.

        The cancellation or rescheduling of orders may cause our operating results to fluctuate. Although we strive to maintain ongoing relationships with our customers, there is an ongoing risk that orders may be cancelled or rescheduled due to fluctuations in our customers' business needs or purchasing budgets. Additionally, although our customer base is diverse, ranging from one-person machine shops to Fortune 1000 companies and large government agencies, the cancellation or rescheduling of significant orders by larger customers may still have a material adverse effect on our operating results from time to time.

Work stoppages and other disruptions at transportation centers or shipping ports may adversely affect our ability to obtain inventory and make deliveries to our customers.

        Our ability to provide same-day shipping of our core business products is an integral component of our overall business strategy. Disruptions at transportation centers or shipping ports, such as the severe winter weather experienced during the third quarter of fiscal 2003 and the longshoreman's strike on the West Coast in fiscal 2002, affect both our ability to maintain core products in inventory and deliver products to our customers on a timely basis, which may in turn adversely affect our results of operations.

The risks of war, terrorism, and similar hostilities may adversely affect our operating results.

        In addition to having an impact on general economic conditions, events such as the attacks of September 11, 2001 and the recent conflict in Iraq may adversely affect our revenues and our ability to

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service our customers. We believe that both the events of September 11, 2001 and the Iraq conflict had an adverse effect on our results of operations, although the impact of such events can be difficult to quantify.

Disruptions of our information systems could adversely affect us.

        We believe that our computer software programs are an integral part of our business and growth strategies. We depend upon our information systems to help process orders, to manage inventory and accounts receivable collections, to purchase, sell and ship products efficiently and on a timely basis, to maintain cost-effective operations, and to help provide superior service to our customers. Any disruption in the operation of our information systems, including widespread power outages such as those that affected the northeastern and midwest United States in August 2003, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Although we utilize disaster recovery techniques and procedures, which we believe are adequate to fulfill our needs, and we believe that planned enhancements and upgrades to the next generation of our existing operating platforms will be sufficient to sustain our present operations and our anticipated growth for the foreseeable future, there can be no assurance that disruptions of our information systems will not occur.

Our success is dependent on certain key personnel.

        Our success depends largely on the efforts and abilities of certain key senior management. The loss of the services of one or more of such key personnel could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results. We do not maintain any key-man insurance policies with respect to any of our executive officers.

Distribution Center Expansions

        In the future, as part of our long term strategic planning, we may open new distribution centers to improve our efficiency, geographic distribution and market penetration. Moving or opening distribution centers requires a substantial capital investment, including expenditures for real estate and construction, and a substantial investment in inventory. In addition, new distribution centers will have an adverse impact on distribution expenses as a percentage of sales, inventory turnover and return on investment in the periods prior to and for some time following the commencement of operations of each new distribution center. Additionally, until sales volumes mature at new distribution centers, operating expenses as a percentage of sales may be adversely impacted. Further, substantial or unanticipated delays in the commencement of operations at new distribution centers could have a material adverse effect on our geographic expansion and may impact results of operations.

Availability of and Integration of Prospective Acquisitions

        Acquisitions have played a limited role in our recent growth. From time to time in the future, we may pursue selected acquisitions that either expand or complement our business in new or existing markets. There can be no assurance that we will be able to identify and to acquire acceptable acquisition candidates on terms favorable to us and in a timely manner. The failure to complete or successfully integrate prospective acquisitions may have an adverse impact on our growth strategy. We are not currently a party to any oral or written acquisition agreement or engaged in any negotiations with respect to any material acquisition candidate.

Our common stock price may be volatile.

        We believe factors such as fluctuations in our operating results or the operating results of our competitors, changes in economic conditions in the market sectors in which our customers operate

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(notably the durable and non-durable goods manufacturing industry, which accounted for 73% of our revenue in fiscal 2003), and changes in general market conditions, could cause the market price of our Class A Common Stock to fluctuate substantially. In addition, sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market could adversely affect the prevailing market price of our Class A Common Stock.

Our principal shareholders exercise significant control over us.

        Our Chief Executive Officer, his sister, certain of their family members and related trusts collectively own 100% of the outstanding shares of Class B Common Stock. Consequently, such shareholders will be in a position to elect all of the directors of the Company and to determine the outcome of any matter submitted to a vote of the Company's shareholders for approval.

Shares Eligible for Future Sale

        Sales of a substantial number of shares of Class A Common Stock in the public market could adversely affect the prevailing market price of the Class A Common Stock and could impair our future ability to raise capital through an offering of its equity securities. As of August 30, 2003, there were 33,642,511 shares of Class A Common Stock outstanding. In addition, there were 6,820,000 shares of Class A Common Stock reserved for issuance (i) upon the exercise of options granted under the Company's 1995, 1998, and 2001 Stock Option Plans, (ii) under the 1995 Restricted Stock Plan, and (iii) under the Company's 1998 Associate Stock Purchase Plan. Options to purchase an additional 4,505,000 shares of Class A Common Stock may be granted under the Company's 2001 Stock Option Plan.

        Our Class B Common Stock is convertible, on a one-for-one basis, into our Class A Common Stock at any time. As of August 30, 2003, there were 32,137,294 shares of Class B Common Stock outstanding. All of the shares of Class B Common Stock (and the shares of Class A Common Stock into which such shares are convertible) are "restricted securities" for purposes of the Securities Act.

        Subject to the volume and other limitations set forth in Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act, all of such restricted securities are eligible for public sale.

ITEM 2.    PROPERTIES.

        We have distribution centers in the following locations:

(1)

The related party lease for this facility expires on July 1, 2023.

(2)

This facility is owned by MSC.

        We maintain approximately 90 branch offices located in 36 states, ranging in size from 670 to 55,000 square feet. The leases for these branch offices will expire at various periods between December 2003 and July 2012. The aggregate annual lease payments on these branches and the Atlanta distribution center in fiscal 2003 was approximately $5,007,000.

        We maintain our headquarters at a 170,000 square foot facility that we own in Melville, New York.

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        We believe that our facilities will be adequate for our current needs and that for the foreseeable future, suitable additional space will be available as needed.

ITEM 3.    LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.

        On August 8, 2002, the Company, its directors and certain of its officers were sued in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York in an action entitled Thomas Nunziata vs. MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. et. al (CV No. 02 4422). Plaintiff, on behalf of a class of the Company's stockholders, sought unspecified damages based on his allegations arising from the Company's announcement that it would restate its consolidated financial statements for fiscal years 1999 through 2001 and the first three quarters of fiscal 2002. Plaintiff alleged that during the periods affected by the restatement, the Company, its directors and certain of its officers violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, by materially misleading the investing public by making false statements in order to inflate the price of the Company's common stock. On August 14, 2002, the Company and certain of its officers and directors were sued in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York in an action entitled Sandra Joan Malin Revocable Trust vs. MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. et al. (CV No. 02 4503). The allegations in this matter were substantially similar to those made in the Nunziata action. On September 11, 2002, these actions were consolidated under the caption In re MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. Securities Litigation (CV No. 02 4422). See Note 12 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. A lead plaintiff, International Association of Machinists National Pension Fund, was named on November 6, 2002, and such lead plaintiff filed a consolidated amended class action complaint on December 23, 2002. The Court granted the Company's motion to dismiss the amended complaint on September 13, 2003. The plaintiffs were granted leave to re-plead their complaint and had until October 28, 2003 to file a second amended complaint. On October 28, 2003, the parties entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to settle the matter for $1,250,000. It is anticipated that substantially all of the settlement will be covered by insurance. Finalization of the settlement will require the approval of the Court.

        There are no other material legal proceedings pending against MSC.

ITEM 4.    SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS.

        None.

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PART II.

ITEM 5.    MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS.

        MSC's Class A Common Stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE") under the symbol "MSM." MSC's Class B Common Stock is not traded over any public market.

        The following table sets forth the range of the high and low closing sales prices as reported by the NYSE along with the cash dividends per share for the period from September 1, 2001 to August 30, 2003.

        On July 10, 2003, the Board of Directors instituted a policy of regular quarterly cash dividends to shareholders. The Board of Directors established a quarterly dividend rate of $0.05 per share, or $0.20 per share annually. This policy is reviewed regularly by the Board of Directors. The first dividend was paid on August 11, 2003 for approximately $3.3 million to shareholders of record at the close of business on July 31, 2003. On October 29, 2003 the Board of Directors approved a second dividend of $.05 per share payable on November 26, 2003 to shareholders of record at the close of business on November 17, 2003. The dividend will result in an anticipated payout of approximately $3.3 million based on the number of shares currently outstanding. The provisions of the Company's revolving credit agreement limit the payment of dividends in each fiscal year to 50% of net income in the immediately preceding fiscal year plus $10.0 million.

        On November 3, 2003, the last reported sales price for MSC's Class A Common Stock on the NYSE was $24.56 per share.

        The approximate number of holders of record of MSC's Class A Common Stock as of November 3, 2003 was 603. The number of holders of record of MSC's Class B Common Stock as of November 3, 2003 was 14.

Equity Compensation Plan Information

        Information for our equity compensation plans in effect as of August 30, 2003 is as follows (amounts in thousands, except per share amounts)

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ITEM 6.    SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA.

        The following selected financial information is qualified by reference to, and should be read in conjunction with, the Company's consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto, and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" contained elsewhere herein. The selected consolidated income statement data for the fiscal years ended September 1, 2001, August 31, 2002 and August 30, 2003 and the selected consolidated balance sheet data as of August 31, 2002 and August 30, 2003 are derived from MSC's audited consolidated financial statements which are included elsewhere herein see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations". The selected consolidated income statement data for the fiscal year ended August 26, 2000 and the selected consolidated balance sheet data as of September 1, 2001, and August 26, 2000 are derived from MSC's audited consolidated financial statements not included herein. The selected consolidated income statement data for the fiscal year ended August 28, 1999 and the selected consolidated balance sheet data as August 28, 1999 are derived from MSC's unaudited consolidated financial statements not included herein.

(1)

See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—General."

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ITEM 7.    MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.

General

        Our objective is to become the preferred supplier of industrial products for companies throughout the United States. We intend to increase sales to existing customers and diversify our customer base by:

•

Expanding next day ground delivery into new markets, targeting the circulation of our master catalog and our direct mail campaign;



•

developing government and national account programs;



•

increasing the number of product lines and SKUs offered including generic and imported products;



•

continually developing technological innovations employing modern technologies to reduce our customers' costs and utilizing extensive e-commerce capabilities, making it even easier and more appealing to do business with MSC;



•

maintaining excellent customer support service; and



•

increasing the productivity of our direct sales force.

        In the future, we intend to take advantage of the additional products offered and our expanded distribution capabilities by further increasing our direct marketing efforts; however, the costs associated with our direct marketing program will be incurred substantially in advance of increased sales and may negatively impact operating margins in the short term. Such costs are expected to be offset, in part, by increases in vendor funded co-op payments which will offset a portion of the catalog and mailing expenses. There can be no assurance that continued expansion of our direct mail marketing program will result in new customers or an increase in sales from existing customers.

Results Of Operations

        The following table summarizes MSC's historical consolidated results of operations as a percentage of net sales for the three most recent fiscal years.

*

53 weeks

Fiscal Year Ended August 30, 2003 Compared to Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2002

        Net sales increased by $50.7 million, or 6.4%, to $844.7 million during fiscal 2003 from $794.0 million in fiscal 2002. This increase was primarily the result of an increase in sales to existing customers and an increase in the number of active customers (which increased approximately 4.2% in fiscal 2003, as compared to fiscal 2002).

        Gross profit increased by $33.5 million, or 9.7%, to $379.7 million during fiscal 2003 from $346.2 million in fiscal 2002. As a percentage of net sales, gross profit increased from 43.6% to 45.0%.

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The increase in gross profit as a percentage of net sales was the result of modest price increases, vendor rebates, continued favorable product mix, favorable discounts obtained from vendors and the success of the Company's efforts to increase gross profit margins with new and existing customers.

        Operating expenses increased by $10.6 million, or 3.7%, to $296.8 million during fiscal 2003 from $286.2 million in fiscal 2002. The increase in operating expenses in dollars was primarily the result of an increase in payroll and payroll related expenses due to annual salary increases, increased medical and other benefit related costs offset by a decrease in the number of associates and an increase in freight expense as compared to fiscal 2002. These increases were partially offset by a decrease in advertising expense primarily due to a planned reduction in the number of publications mailed. As a percentage of net sales, operating expenses decreased from 36.0% to 35.1%, primarily as the result of the allocation of fixed expenses over a larger revenue base.

        Income from operations increased by $22.9 million, or 38.2%, to $82.9 million during fiscal 2003 from $60.0 million in fiscal 2002. The increase was primarily attributable to an increase in gross profit margin, offset in part by an increase in operating expenses.

        Interest income, net increased by $0.4 million to $1.4 million in fiscal 2003 from $1.0 million in fiscal 2002. The increase in net interest income is a result of more invested cash, partially offset by lower interest rates.

        Provision for income taxes.    The effective tax rate was approximately 38.3% and 39.5% for fiscal 2003 and fiscal 2002, respectively. The decrease in the effective tax rate is primarily a result of charitable contributions made during fiscal 2003. Excluding the effect of these contributions, the effective tax rate is approximately 39.8% and 39.5% for fiscal 2003 and fiscal 2002, respectively.

        Net income.    Net income increased by $15.7 million, or 43.1%, to $52.1 million in fiscal 2003 from $36.4 million in fiscal 2002. The factors which affected net income have been discussed above. Diluted earnings per share increased to $.77 for fiscal 2003 from $.51 for fiscal 2002. This is the result of the increase in net income in fiscal 2003 and a decrease in the diluted weighted average shares primarily due to the repurchase of the Company's outstanding Class A stock which is now reflected as treasury stock.

Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2002 Compared to Fiscal Year Ended September 1, 2001

        Net sales decreased by $75.2 million, or 8.7%, to $794.0 million during fiscal 2002 from $869.2 million in fiscal 2001. This decrease was primarily attributable to a decline in sales to existing customers who were negatively affected by weakness in the industrial sector, the events of September 11^th and the inclusion of an extra week in fiscal 2001, (the Company's fiscal years contain either 52 or 53 weeks). Average daily sales declined slightly in fiscal 2002 as compared to fiscal 2001.

        Gross profit decreased by $28.9 million, or 7.7%, to $346.2 million during fiscal 2002 from $375.1 million in fiscal 2001. The dollar decrease in gross profit was due to the aforementioned net sales reduction. As a percentage of net sales, gross profit increased from 43.2% to 43.6%, primarily as a result of a favorable change in selling price product mix and the success of the Company's efforts to increase gross profit margins with new and existing customers.

        Operating expenses decreased by $2.5 million, or 0.9%, to $286.2 million during fiscal 2002 from $288.7 million in fiscal 2001. The decrease in operating expenses in dollars was a result of decreased amortization of goodwill expense, cost reduction programs initiated in fiscal 2002 and a decline in volume related variable expenses. These expenses were partially offset by the increase in payroll and benefit related costs as compared to fiscal 2001. In addition fiscal 2001 had contained 53 weeks of operating expenses, as discussed above. As a percentage of net sales, operating expenses increased from 33.2% to 36.0%, primarily the result of the distribution of fixed expenses over a relatively lower net sales base. Effective at the beginning of fiscal 2002, the Company adopted SFAS No. 142. In

19

accordance with this standard, amortization expense on goodwill in the amount of approximately $1.8 million was not required to be recorded and is not included in operating expense in fiscal 2002 as compared to the amount recorded in fiscal 2001.

        Income from operations decreased by $26.4 million, or 30.6%, to $60.0 million during fiscal 2002 from $86.4 million in fiscal 2001. The decrease was primarily attributable to the decrease in net sales described above, although results were favorably impacted by the increased gross profit margins described above.

        Interest income (expense), net.    Net interest income was $1.0 million in fiscal 2002 compared to net interest expense of $3.5 million in fiscal 2001. The change from net interest expense to net interest income reflects the Company's repayment of almost all of its outstanding debt during fiscal 2001. As a result, the Company now has net interest income in fiscal 2002, resulting from invested cash and cash equivalents.

        Provision for impairment in carrying value of investments.    In fiscal years 2002 and 2001, the Company recorded an impairment charge of $0.7 million and $10.3 million, respectively, related to the impairment of the Company's minority investments in several online MRO businesses. There is no remaining net carrying value of these investments as of August 31, 2002.

        Provision for income taxes.    The effective tax rate was approximately 39.5% and 45.1% for fiscal 2002 and fiscal 2001, respectively. The decrease in the effective tax rate is a direct result of limited tax benefits from the Internet investment impairment charge recorded in fiscal 2001. Excluding the effect of this impairment charge, the effective tax rate is approximately 39.5% and 40.0% for fiscal 2002 and fiscal 2001, respectively.

        Net income.    Net income decreased by $3.5 million, or 8.8%, to $36.4 million in fiscal 2002 from $39.9 million in fiscal 2001. Diluted earning per share were $.51 and $.57 for fiscal 2002 and fiscal 2001, respectively. Without taking into account the impairment charge recorded on the Company's minority investment in several online MRO businesses net income would have been $36.8 million or $.52 per diluted share in fiscal 2002 as compared to $49.8 million or $.72 per diluted share in fiscal 2001. The factors which affected net income and diluted earnings per share have been discussed above.

Quarterly Results and Seasonality

        The following table sets forth unaudited financial data for each of MSC's last eight fiscal quarters.

We have generally experienced slightly lower sales volumes during the summer months, and we expect this trend to continue in the foreseeable future. As a result, net income in the fourth fiscal quarter is historically somewhat lower than in the third fiscal quarter, due largely to the continuation of our fixed costs during slower sales periods.

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Liquidity and Capital Resources

        Our primary capital needs have been to fund the working capital requirements necessitated by our sales growth, adding new products, and facilities expansions. Our primary sources of financing have been cash from operations, supplemented by bank borrowings under our credit facility. Working capital increased from $299.3 million in fiscal 2002 to $353.9 million in fiscal 2003. This is primarily the result of the increase in cash and cash equivalents from $60.0 million in fiscal 2002 to $114.3 million in fiscal 2003. Total Assets increased from $562.9 million in fiscal 2002 to $619.0 million in fiscal 2003. We anticipate cash flows from operations, available cash resources and available lines of credit will be adequate to support our operations for the next 12 months.

        Under the terms of the credit facility, the maximum permitted borrowings are $110.0 million under an unsecured revolving credit agreement. Interest on amounts borrowed may be paid at a rate per annum equal to the bank's base rate (4.0% at August 30, 2003) or, alternatively, at the bankers' acceptance rate or LIBOR rate plus margins, which vary from per annum based on the ratio of total liabilities to effective net worth, or bid note rate. This credit facility contains certain covenants limiting mergers, use of proceeds, indebtedness, liens, investments, sales of assets, acquisitions, and payment of dividends. This credit facility also contains certain standard financial covenants. As of August 30, 2003 the Company had no outstanding borrowings under this agreement and was in compliance with all financial covenants.

        Net cash provided by operating activities for the fiscal years ended August 30, 2003 and August 31, 2002 was $83.7 million and $84.9 million respectively. The decrease of approximately $1.2 million in net cash provided from operations resulted from investment in working capital to support an increase in net sales, principally offset by fluctuations in net deferred tax liabilities and higher net income.

        Net cash used in investing activities for the fiscal years ended August 30, 2003 and August 31, 2002 were $9.6 million and $7.8 million, respectively. The net usage of cash in fiscal 2003 and fiscal 2002 were primarily attributable to expenditures for property, plant and equipment.

        Net cash used in financing activities for the fiscal years ended August 30, 2003 and August 31, 2002 were $19.7 million and $29.5 million, respectively. The decrease of approximately $9.8 million in net cash used in financing activities for fiscal 2003 was attributable to the reduction in purchases of Class A treasury stock, partially offset by the quarterly cash dividend paid to shareholders and lower proceeds from the exercise of common stock options.

        On September 26, 2002, the Board of Directors approved the replenishment of the Company's share buyback program, which authorized the repurchase of up to 5 million shares of Class A common stock on the open market. The stock repurchase plan allows the Company to repurchase shares at any time and in any increments it deems appropriate. In fiscal 2003 the Company repurchased 1.3 million shares in the open market at a total cost of approximately $22.6 million, of this amount 1.0 million shares were repurchased in the fourth quarter at a total cost of approximately $19.6 million. The Company reissued approximately 82,000 shares of treasury stock during fiscal 2003 to fund the associate stock purchase plan. The Company currently anticipates that it may make further repurchases based upon market conditions. The Company has adequate cash reserves to fund such future repurchases.

        On July 10, 2003, the Board of Directors instituted a policy of regular quarterly cash dividends to shareholders at the rate of $0.05 per share, or $0.20 per share annually. The first dividend was paid on August 11, 2003 for approximately $3.3 million to shareholders of record at the close of business on July 31, 2003. On October 29, 2003 the Board of Directors approved a second dividend of $.05 per share payable on November 26, 2003 to shareholders of record at the close of business on November 17, 2003. The dividend will result in an anticipated payout of approximately $3.3 million based on the number of shares currently outstanding. The provisions of the Company's revolving credit agreement limit the payment of dividends in each fiscal year to 50% of net income in the immediately preceding fiscal year plus $10.0 million.

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Related Party Transactions

        The Company is affiliated with various real estate entities (together, the "Affiliates") which are owned primarily by the Company's principal shareholders. The Company paid rent under operating leases to Affiliates for fiscal 2003, 2002, and 2001 of approximately $1.9 million, $1.7 million and $1.7 million, respectively. In the opinion of the Company's management, based on its market research, the leases with Affiliates are on terms which approximate fair market value. See Note 11 to the Consolidated Financial Statements and "Contractual Obligations" below for discussion of related-party transactions with the various real estate entities.

Contractual Obligations

        Certain of the operations of the Company are conducted on leased premises, some of which are leased from Affiliates. The leases (most of which require the Company to provide for the payment of real estate taxes, insurance and other operating costs) are for varying periods, the longest extending to the year 2023. In addition, the Company is obligated under certain equipment and automobile operating leases, which expire on varying dates through 2007. At August 30, 2003, approximate minimum annual rentals on such leases are as follows (in thousands):

        The Company believes that existing cash balances together with cash generated from operations and amounts available under the Company's $110 million credit facility will be sufficient to meet the Company's projected working capital and other cash flow requirements for the next five years. As of August 30, 2003, the Company was in compliance with the covenants set forth in the Company's credit facility.

MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES.

        The Company's significant accounting policies are more fully described in the notes to the consolidated financial statements. On an on-going basis, the Company evaluates its estimates, including those related to bad debts, inventories, goodwill, contingencies and litigation. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

Concentrations of Credit Risk

        The Company's mix of receivables is diverse, with approximately 343,000 combined active customer accounts defined as customers who have purchased from MSC in the preceding twelve months. The Company sells its products primarily to end-users. The Company performs periodic credit evaluations of its customers' financial condition and collateral is not required. Receivables are generally due within 30 days. The Company evaluates the collectibility of accounts receivable based on numerous factors,

22

including past transaction history with customers and their credit-worthiness. Initially, the Company estimates an allowance for doubtful accounts as a percentage of net sales based on historical bad debt experience. This estimate is periodically adjusted when the Company becomes aware of a specific customer's inability to meet its financial obligations (e.g. bankruptcy, etc.), or as a result of changes in the overall aging of accounts receivable.

        The Company maintains the majority of its cash and cash equivalents with high quality financial institutions. Deposits held with banks may exceed insurance limits. These deposits may be redeemed upon demand and therefore bear minimal risk.

Inventory Valuation

        Inventories consist of merchandise held for resale and are stated at the lower of weighted average cost (using the first-in, first-out method) or market. Management evaluates the need to record adjustments for impairment of inventory on a quarterly basis. Slow moving inventory, obsolete inventory or inventory in excess of management's estimated usage is written-down, using historical data and reasonable assumptions, to its estimated market value, if less than its cost. Inherent in the estimates of market value are management's estimates related to customer demand, technological and/or market obsolescence, possible alternative uses and ultimate realization of excess inventory.

Deferred Catalog Costs

        The costs of producing and distributing the Company's principal catalogs are deferred ($14.2 million and $14.0 million at August 30, 2003 and August 31, 2002, respectively) and included in other assets in the Company's consolidated balance sheets in accordance with SOP 93-7, "Reporting on Advertising Costs." These costs are charged to expense over the period that the catalogs remain the most current source of sales, which period is typically one year or less. The costs associated with brochures and catalog supplements are charged to expense as distributed.

Revenue Recognition

        The Company recognizes revenue upon shipment of products to its customers. The Company reports its sales net of the amount of actual sales returns and the amount of reserves established for anticipated sales returns based upon historical return rates.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

        In June 2002, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standard ("SFAS") No. 146, "Accounting for Costs Associated with Exit or Disposal Activities." SFAS No. 146 nullifies Emerging Issues Task Force ("EITF") Issue No. 94-3, "Liability Recognition for Certain Employee Termination Benefits and Other Costs to Exit an Activity," under which a liability for an exit cost was recognized at the date of an entity's commitment to an exit plan. SFAS No. 146 requires that a liability for a cost associated with an exit or disposal activity be recognized at fair value when the liability is incurred. The provisions of this statement are effective for exit or disposal activities that are initiated after December 31, 2002. The adoption of this statement did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

        In November 2002, the FASB reached a consensus on EITF Issue No. 02-16, Accounting by a Reseller for Cash Consideration Received from a Vendor. EITF Issue No. 02-16 addresses how a reseller of a vendor's product should account for cash consideration received from a vendor and how to measure that consideration in its income statement. Certain provisions of EITF No. 02-16 were effective November 22, 2002 and other provisions were effective after December 31, 2002. The EITF did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

        In January 2003, the FASB issued Interpretation No. 46 ("FIN 46"), "Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities", which clarifies the application of Accounting Research Bulletin No. 51,

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"Consolidated Financial Statements", relating to consolidation of certain entities. First, FIN 46 requires identification of the Company's participation in variable interests entities ("VIE"), which are defined as entities with a level of invested equity that is not sufficient to fund future activities to permit them to operate on a standalone basis, or whose equity holders lack certain characteristics of a controlling financial interest. Then, for entities identified as VIE, FIN 46 sets forth a model to evaluate potential consolidation based on an assessment of which party to the VIE, if any, bears a majority of the exposure to its expected losses, or stands to gain from a majority of its expected returns. FIN 46 also sets forth certain disclosures regarding interests in VIE that are deemed significant, even if consolidation is not required. The standard is effective during the first quarter of fiscal 2004. The adoption of this standard is not expected to have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

        In January 2003, the FASB issued SFAS No. 148, "Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation Transition and Disclosure," to provide alternative methods of transition for an entity that voluntarily changes to the fair value-based method of accounting for stock-based employee compensation. This statement also amends the disclosure provisions of that statement to require prominent disclosure about the effects on reported net income of an entity's accounting policy decisions with respect to stock-based employee compensation. Finally, the statement amends APB Opinion No. 28, "Interim Financial Reporting," to require disclosure about those effects in interim financial information. The amendments to APB Opinion No. 28 are effective for financial reports containing condensed financial statements for interim periods beginning after December 15, 2002. The disclosure provisions of this statement were adopted during the third quarter ended May 31, 2003.

ITEM 7A.    QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK.

        The Company's principal financial instrument is long-term notes payable under a credit agreement. The Company is affected by market risk exposure primarily through the effect of changes in interest rates on amounts payable by the Company under this credit agreement. Changes in these factors cause fluctuations in the Company's net income and cash flows. The agreement allows the Company maximum borrowings of $110.0 million under a revolving credit agreement. At August 30, 2003, the Company had no outstanding borrowings and was in compliance with all financial covenants. The agreement bears interest at the bank's base rate (4.0% at August 30, 2003), or, alternatively, at the bankers acceptance rate or LIBOR rate plus margins, which vary from 0.65% to 1.25% per annum based on the ratio of total liabilities to effective net worth, or bid note rate. The Company does not make material use of derivative financial instruments to hedge against changes in interest rates or for any other purpose.

        The Company also has a long term note payable in the amount of approximately $1.2 million to the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority which is secured by the land on which the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania distribution center is located, which bears interest at 3% per annum and is payable in monthly installments of approximately $20,000 through September 2011.

        In addition, the Company's interest income is most sensitive to changes in the general level of U.S. interest rates. In this regard, changes in U.S. interest rates affect the interest earned on the Company's cash equivalents.

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ITEM 8.    FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA.

INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

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Report of Independent Auditors

To the Shareholders and the Board of Directors
MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. and Subsidiaries

        We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. and Subsidiaries as of August 30, 2003 and August 31, 2002, and the related consolidated statements of income, shareholders' equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended August 30, 2003. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.

        We conducted our audits in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

        In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. and Subsidiaries at August 30, 2003 and August 31, 2002, and the consolidated results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended August 30, 2003, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.

        As discussed in Note 2 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements, effective September 2, 2001, the Company adopted the provisions of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 142, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets.

/s/  ERNST & YOUNG LLP      

November 3, 2003
Melville, NY

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MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO., INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In thousands, except share data)

See accompanying notes.

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MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO., INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(In thousands, except net income per share data)

See accompanying notes.

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MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO., INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY

FOR THE FISCAL YEARS ENDED AUGUST 30, 2003, AUGUST 31, 2002 AND SEPTEMBER 1, 2001

(In thousands)

See accompanying notes.

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MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO., INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

FOR THE FISCAL YEARS ENDED AUGUST 30, 2003, AUGUST 31, 2002 AND SEPTEMBER 1, 2001

(In thousands)