In a First, Matsushita to Buy Tandy Computers to Sell in U.S.

Pulling a switch, Tandy Corp. will sell its American-made personal computers to Japan’s Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. for sale under the Panasonic brand name, it was announced Monday.

The deal, a marketing success for Tandy, marks the first time a Japanese company has bought personal computers made in the United States for sale in the United States.

Tandy used to sell its computers only through company-owned stores, but it has been moving aggressively to find other outlets for its broad line of industry-standard machines.

The Ft. Worth-based company announced last month that it would sell PCs to Digital Equipment Corp. for sale under the Digital label. In June, it said it would sell PCs through Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

“This agreement is an important step in our announced strategy to leverage Tandy’s computer design and world-class manufacturing capability by distributing through alternative marketing channels,” John Patterson, senior vice president of Tandy Computers, said in a written statement.

Matsushita, whose brand names include Panasonic, Quasar, Technics and National, has $4.5 billion in annual sales in the United States, making it the leading consumer electronics company in U.S. sales.

Although Matsushita sells personal computers in Japan, they cannot run the same software as American computers, Panasonic spokesman James Wickizer said. He said sales of the Tandy-made machines would begin in the first quarter of 1989.