Jasmine Aker started shopping at Cato with her mother when she was 11 years old. She would come in, dress her mom and help to plan outfits.
“I always told her I wanted to work at Cato,” Aker said.
Now, Aker has worked at the store for a year and a half and was promoted to store manager at the beginning of March.
Cato is a national chain with 1,300 stores under the names Cato, Versona and It’s Fashion in 32 states. There are 22 locations in Indiana. The Bloomington store is located at Whitehall Plaza on West Third Street.
Cato offers fashionable clothes at reasonable prices for women sizes 4 to 28, part time manager Kelsie West said.
New merchandise comes to the store every week, and Cato marks down prices three times per month.
Cato also carries little girls’ clothing, West said.
“I always tell everyone it’s a family store,” Aker said. “Our target is everyone.”
Customers tell her Cato is one of the only stores that carries fashionable clothes for plus-size women, West said.
The store also caters to women from religious groups who uphold a standard of modest dress, West said.
As a Pentecostal Christian, West must wear skirts that go to at least the knee, she said. Because of the variety of bottoms Cato offers, both her mom and sister can shop at the store, too.
Aker’s duties as store manager include hiring new employees, creating the schedule, and building walls and mannequins. She also works to color-coordinate the entire store.
Her goal as store manager is to connect Cato with the Bloomington community by donating clothing, Aker said.
Every day the goal is to help the customer find what they need, Aker said. Working at Cato is like being a personal shopper.
Aker said she loves clothes and never gets rid of anything.
What makes her successful is her ability to connect with people.
“I’m great with customers,” Aker said. “I talk a lot, maybe too much. Being around people is everything.”
As soon as a customer comes in, her eyes light up, Aker said. She said she asks herself how can she make this customer’s day or what she can do to help them feel their best.
Many of the customers are regulars, West said. The employees get to know them well.
Aker said her dream job is to work her way up in Cato.
“I’ve always wanted to work myself up through a company and get as high as I could,” Aker said. “I knew Cato was where I wanted to do it.”
