The Cato (NYSE:CATO) Corporation (NYSE: CATO) is a specialty retailer focused on providing value-priced women’s fashion apparel, accessories, footwear and home décor. Through its family of specialty brands—Cato, Versona, It's Fashion and It's Fashion Metro—the company operates more than 1,200 stores across the southeastern and midwestern United States. Cato’s brick-and-mortar network is complemented by an e-commerce platform, giving the retailer omnichannel capabilities to serve its core customer base.
Cato’s product assortment spans casual and career apparel, footwear, jewelry, handbags and small home accents. Leveraging a mix of in-house design and strategic vendor partnerships, the company delivers new merchandise on a weekly cadence. This fast-fashion model, combined with private-label offerings, enables Cato to maintain competitive pricing while responding quickly to emerging trends in women’s fashion.
Founded in 1946 by Carl Thompson in Greensboro, North Carolina, Cato began as a single dress shop and gradually expanded its footprint throughout the Sun Belt and into the Midwest. The company went public in 1992 and established its headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina. Cato’s distribution and logistics network includes a centralized distribution center in Enfield, North Carolina, which supports its retail operations and online order fulfillment.
Under the leadership of Chief Executive Officer Andrew Horn, Cato continues to refine its retail strategy through enhancements to its digital platform, targeted marketing efforts and ongoing store remodels. Horn and the executive team have emphasized cost discipline and inventory management as key pillars for driving profitable growth in a competitive specialty retail landscape.
