> McMaster-Carr shoppers don’t encounter distractions; you can see proof of this on the homepage which jumps right into the action:
The web site is based on the paper catalogue (book), from layout, visual interface, and organization. The paper version was excellent and useful. Instead of trying all sorts of "fun" (for the designer) web capabilities, they focused on ohw the web could augment what they were already successfully doing. No redesign for design's sake.
Some of the best paper catalogues like McMaster and Sigma had excellent, customer-centered design, which led to long term loyalty. Easy to find what you needed, and useful as references, not just as a place to buy. They have retained that philosophy into the web world.
Compare this to, say, Amazon where Amazon's needs are prioritized over the customers', with the obvious result of reduced loyalty and the need to shore that up with rewards (prime, discounts, advertising).