The Cato Corporation
The Cato Corporation (NYSE: CATO) is a US specialty retailer of affordable women's fashion apparel and accessories, operating 1,069 Cato Fashions stores across 31 southeastern states and the catofashions.com e-commerce site, serving budget-conscious women in sizes 2 to 28.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1946
- HeadquartersCharlotte, United States
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Cato Corporation does
The Cato Corporation (NYSE: CATO) is a US specialty retailer of women's fashion apparel and accessories, founded in 1946 and headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. Operating under the Cato Fashions brand, the company serves budget-conscious women consumers through a 1,069-store physical retail network concentrated across 31 southeastern US states as of January 31, 2026, supplemented by the catofashions.com e-commerce site. The product assortment spans women's clothing (tops, dresses, jeans, skirts, sweaters, pants, suiting, jackets, athleisure, sleepwear), plus sizes (16W to 28W including plus-size petites), jewelry, accessories (handbags, hats, scarves, sunglasses, etc.), and shoes, with sizes ranging from 2 to 28 and price points typically between $4.99 and $54.99. Seasonal trend collections (Living in Linen, Festival Season, Matching Sets, Beach Please!, Animal Instincts, Summer Neutrals, Game Day, Back To School) and the Cato Style Rewards loyalty program are actively merchandised to drive repeat traffic.
The technology stack is a standard retail e-commerce platform with ship-to-store logistics, fulfilled from a Charlotte, NC distribution center shipping via Amazon, UPS, and USPS. Cato does not ship to California, US territories, or internationally, and the business model is straightforward one-time retail transactions (in-store and online) with no subscription, licensing, or platform revenue. The revenue model is concentrated in a single segment: women's affordable fashion apparel sold through owned channels (physical stores and the company website). No acquisitions, partnerships, or third-party brand arrangements are present.
For fiscal 2025, Cato reported sales of $646.8 million (+0.7% YoY), same-store sales growth of 4%, gross margin of 33.3% (up from 32.0%), and a narrowed net loss of $5.9 million (from $18.1M in 2024). Q1 2026 results showed further improvement: sales of $169.5 million, same-store sales +3%, gross margin of 37.2%, and net income of $9.3 million ($0.47 diluted EPS), nearly tripling YoY, partly aided by a $5.7 million pre-tax IEEPA tariff refund. The company closed 48 stores in 2025 and plans to open up to 10 while closing up to 40 underperforming stores in 2026. Leadership remains family-controlled, with John P. Derham Cato serving as Chairman, President and CEO, and family founder Wayland Cato still associated with the company.
The Cato Corporation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Cato Corporation
- Legal name
- The Cato Corporation
- Website
- https://catofashions.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1946
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- The Cato Corporation (NYSE: CATO) is a US specialty retailer of affordable women's fashion apparel and accessories, operating 1,069 Cato Fashions stores across 31 southeastern states and the catofashions.com e-commerce site, serving budget-conscious women in sizes 2 to 28.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Cato Corporation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Women's Specialty Apparel Retail
- NAICS
- Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (458110), Clothing, Clothing Accessories, Shoe, and Jewelry Retailers (458)
- SIC
- Retail-Women's Clothing Stores (5621), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Women’s Apparel Retail (CRAAABAB)
Keywords
Where The Cato Corporation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Charlotte
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Cato Corporation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Retail Store Sales: Revenue generated from physical retail store locations selling women's fashion apparel and accessories. Cato operates 1,069 stores across 31 states, offering clothing, jewelry, accessories, and shoes to women consumers.
- E-commerce Sales: Online sales through catofashions.com with standard and expedited shipping options, plus free ship-to-store capability. Orders processed from distribution center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Budget-friendly fashion items |
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
The Cato Corporation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Cato Corporation operates Cato Fashions, a women's fashion specialty retailer selling apparel and accessories in sizes 2 to 28 (including regular, petite, and plus sizes) through 1,069 physical stores across 31 southeastern U.S. states and an e-commerce site. Product categories include clothing (tops, dresses, jeans, sweaters, pants, suiting, etc.), plus sizes, jewelry, accessories (handbags, hats, scarves), and shoes, supported by seasonal trend collections and ship-to-store fulfillment from a Charlotte, NC distribution center.
Product overview
The Cato Corporation operates Cato Fashions, a single-brand specialty retail platform offering women's fashion apparel and accessories across physical stores (1,069 locations in 31 states as of January 2026) and e-commerce (catofashions.com). The core product is women's clothing in sizes 2-28, organized into main categories (Clothing, Plus Sizes, Jewelry, Accessories, Shoes) and seasonal trend collections (Living in Linen, Festival Season, Matching Sets, Beach Please!, Animal Instincts, Summer Neutrals, Game Day). Editorial features include New Arrivals, Looks We Love curated outfits, and the Sincerely, Cato blog. The company also offers a Cato Style Rewards loyalty program and multiple shipping/fulfillment options for online orders.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Women's Clothing
Companies that use The Cato Corporation
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
The Cato Corporation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Cato Corporation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators12 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Cato Corporation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Torrid Holdings: Plus-size women's apparel specialty retailer focused on sizes 10-30. Directly competes with Cato's plus-size assortment and targets a younger, more trend-focused plus customer, but overlaps in core plus-size product categories.
- Christopher & Banks: Women's specialty value retailer with sizes including misses and plus, similar to Cato. Operates mall-based and freestanding stores targeting value-oriented women 40+, making it a close small-cap direct comparable.
- Talbots: Women's specialty apparel retailer with classic, polished styles at accessible price points. Overlaps directly with Cato's missy and petites customer and category mix (dresses, suiting, sweaters), serving a similar age and income demographic.
- Chico's FAS: Women's specialty apparel retailer operating Chico's, White House Black Market, and Soma brands. Targets a similar 35-60 value-to-mid demographic with comparable price points and mall/off-mall presence — the closest direct comparable in customer base and product.
- Lane Bryant: Plus-size women's apparel specialty retailer covering sizes 14-28. Directly overlaps with Cato's plus-size (16W-28W) line and similar value-to-mid price positioning for the same inclusive-size customer.
Broad incumbents
- Burlington Stores: Off-price retailer of apparel, accessories, and home goods at value prices with strong southeastern US presence. Competes directly with Cato for the same budget-conscious female shopper across overlapping geographies.
- The TJX Companies: Largest off-price retailer (TJ Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods) competing directly for the value-oriented apparel and accessories shopper across the US, with significant southeastern presence that overlaps Cato's trade area.
- Ross Stores: Off-price retailer offering women's apparel, shoes, and accessories at deep discounts across the US. While broader in assortment and price-positioning, Ross competes for the same value-oriented female shopper, particularly in Cato's southeastern footprint.
Emerging players
- The Buckle: Mid-priced specialty apparel retailer targeting a younger demographic with denim and casual focus. While primarily men's-leaning, Buckle's women's assortment and mall-based model overlaps partially with Cato's customer in tier markets.
- Francesca's Holdings: Women's specialty boutique retailer offering apparel, jewelry, and accessories with a more boutique positioning. Currently restructured/emerging post-bankruptcy, but historically a direct competitor for the value-oriented women's special occasion shopper.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Cato Corporation social profiles
Digital presenceThe Cato Corporation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Cato Corporation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
The Cato Corporation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Cato Corporation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Cato Corporation
What does The Cato Corporation do?
The Cato Corporation operates Cato Fashions, a women's fashion specialty retailer selling apparel and accessories in sizes 2 to 28 (including regular, petite, and plus sizes) through 1,069 physical stores across 31 southeastern U.S. states and an e-commerce site. Product categories include clothing (tops, dresses, jeans, sweaters, pants, suiting, etc.), plus sizes, jewelry, accessories (handbags, hats, scarves), and shoes, supported by seasonal trend collections and ship-to-store fulfillment from a Charlotte, NC distribution center.
Is The Cato Corporation a public or private company?
The Cato Corporation is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was The Cato Corporation founded?
The Cato Corporation was founded in 1946. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is The Cato Corporation based?
The Cato Corporation is headquartered in Charlotte, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Cato Corporation make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Retail Store Sales are the primary driver. The others are E-commerce Sales.
Who are The Cato Corporation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Torrid Holdings, Christopher & Banks, Talbots, Chico's FAS and Lane Bryant. Broad incumbents are Burlington Stores, The TJX Companies and Ross Stores. Emerging players are The Buckle and Francesca's Holdings.
Does The Cato Corporation have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Cato Corporation.
What industry is The Cato Corporation in?
The Cato Corporation's product category is Women's Specialty Apparel Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAAABAB, Women’s Apparel Retail. Its NAICS code is 458110 and its SIC code is 5621.