Cato, a leading specialty retailer of women's fashions and accessories, has made its debut into the world of online shopping with the launch of its first ever ecommerce site.

With the help of its implementation partner Celerant Technology, the new website will support the growth of the renowned, national brand and will offer the same collections as its brick-and-mortar stores, as well as additional sizes, colors and exclusive items.

Founded in 1946, Cato operates approximately 1,300 apparel and accessories specialty stores throughout the United States. The merchant is well-known for offering the latest fashion styles for any occasion at low prices everyday. With so many brick-and-mortar locations, the ability to supplement in-store inventory with an ecommerce solution for a new generation of connected shoppers became crucial for continued growth.

To cater to 21st century demands, Cato needed to create a highly sophisticated ecommerce solution that tied in existing inventory management systems, branding and service into a customer facing order management software - all within a tight eight month timeline.

After a thorough selection process, Cato chose to partner with Celerant Technology, the leading mid-market retail technology provider, over larger competition due to their ability to offer a complete, customized solution within such an aggressive timeline.

"We are thrilled to enter the world of ecommerce," says John Cato, Cato's Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. "This significant milestone fully rounds out our services and offerings, along with our 1,100 Cato stores. Now our customers have the opportunity to access our fashions and accessories at any time from the comfort of their own devices."

In keeping with Cato's tradition and brand, Celerant was determined to create a website that enables customers to receive the same levels of service and products that they are accustomed to in each and every store. Celerant Technology succeeded in the challenging task of integrating all their existing components and systems, and on the timeline necessary to fulfill Cato's vision.

Ian Goldman, President and CEO of Celerant Technology, said, "When developing our software, we focus on all of our retailer's needs. From customer-facing functions to back-office reporting, we provide retailers with a complete real-time, all-in-one system. We are proud of our work with Cato - we worked closely, and truly partnered with them to design, build and implement a complete solution within an extraordinarily short timeframe. We look forward to watching their brand and sales grow exponentially."

Celerant Technology