US specialty retailer and wholesale distributor of leather, leatherworking tools, belt buckles and adornments, leather dyes and finishes Tandy Leather Factory, Inc. has reported a 12% increase in sales for January. Sales reached $4.5 million from $4.1 million reported in the same month last year.

Retail Leathercraft posted a 35% sales increase for January, with sales totalling $1.8 million compared with $1.3 million in January 2005. The 42 comparable stores posted an 18% same store sales gain for the month. The 10 stores opened in 2005 added January sales of $218,000.

Wholesale Leathercraft posted sales of $2.59 million for January, up 1% over January 2005 sales of $2.56 million. Within the Wholesale Leathercraft division, the wholesale centres' sales gain was 6% for the month while the National Account group posted a January sales decline of 24%.