Tandy

Tandy Corporation, commonly known as Tandy, is an American diversified retailer and manufacturer with historical roots in leather goods and electronics. The company originated in 1919 as The Tandy Leather Company in Fort Worth, Texas, founded by Charles C. Tandy. It began as a leather goods retailer and later expanded into manufacturing and distribution of leather craft supplies.

In the 1960s, Tandy broadened its business into consumer electronics with the development of the RadioShack chain, which grew to become its prominent retail brand. For several decades, RadioShack served as the public face of the company, while Tandy managed a broader portfolio of electronics-related products and components.

The latter decades saw significant changes in retail, and RadioShack faced competitive pressures leading to financial restructuring in the 2010s. The brand was subsequently revived by new owners under a different corporate arrangement, while many of its stores and operations underwent restructuring or closure during the process.

Separately, the Tandy Leather brand continues to operate as a global supplier of leather and craft products, maintaining retail and catalog channels in multiple countries. The Tandy name also persists in various product lines and corporate histories tied to American retail and manufacturing.

Overall, Tandy’s legacy rests on its dual identities: the enduring Tandy Leather brand and the historical influence of RadioShack as a major electronics retailer, illustrating a long-running pattern of diversification within a single corporate lineage.