CATO CORP

The Cato Corp. engages in the operation of apparel and accessories specialty stores. The company is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina and currently employs 6,700 full-time employees. The firm operates through two segments: the operation of a fashion specialty stores segment (Retail Segment) and a credit card segment (Credit Segment). The firm's merchandise lines include dressy, career, and casual sportswear, dresses, coats, shoes, lingerie, costume jewelry, handbags, men's wear and lines for kids and infants. The apparel specialty stores operate under the names Cato, Cato Fashions, Cato Plus, Its Fashion, Its Fashion Metro and Versona, including e-commerce websites. The Versona brand stores and e-commerce Website offer fashion apparel items, jewelry and accessories at values every day. The firm offers its own credit cards to its customers and all credit authorizations, payment processing and collection efforts are performed by a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. The company operates approximately 1,117 fashion specialty stores in 31 states, principally in the southeastern United States.