Reinventing Retail IT for Speed, Scale & Simplicity with Crew Clothing

The Vision

Build a Scalable, Secure & Streamlined IT Foundation

Crew Clothing Company’s IT leadership had a bold vision: Strip back legacy infrastructure and create a modern, scalable, cloud-native architecture that could power the next chapter of growth.

That meant:

• Eliminating unnecessary hardware and complexity

• Consolidating platforms for a single source of truth

• Upgrading ERP and networking foundations

• Delivering secure, reliable connectivity to every store

• Freeing up IT to focus on strategic innovation, not firefighting

To get there, Crew were looking for the best technology and expert professional services to help them achieve their objectives. Partnering with Cato Networks and Vizst Technology supported this – delivering dynamic, future-ready solutions with speed and clarity.

The challenges

​Modernising Legacy IT for a Fast-Moving Retail Brand

Crew Clothing is a premium British lifestyle brand built on timeless style and exceptional customer experience. But behind the scenes, their IT environment was stuck in the past. A patchwork of legacy systems, dated infrastructure, and unreliable connectivity was holding back performance and growth.

Operating from multiple data centres, with an ageing on-premise MPLS network and a legacy version of Microsoft Dynamics ERP, Crew had reached the end of the road with their existing tech stack.

Systems didn’t speak to each other, data didn’t match up, and the team was bogged down with manual processes. Sales figures varied between platforms. Staff were manually transferring data between disconnected systems meaning the impact on productivity, visibility, and security was significant.

Network performance was another critical pain point. With stores located in remote coastal and rural areas, connectivity was unpredictable. Limited broadband options meant high costs for backup connections and a complete lack of visibility meant IT was constantly reacting instead of leading.

This coincided with a security was a concern also. Legacy, on-prem firewalls and outdated controls left the business exposed. There was a real risk to the business and this needed to be addressed – fast.

The solution

Cloud-First, SASE-Enabled, Seamlessly Integrated

Working closely with Vizst and leveraging Cato’s industry-leading SASE platform, Crew undertook a full-scale transformation in just 45 days – covering over 100 sites with new connectivity and secure, scalable networking.

The results

  • Speed, Simplicity & Strategic Focus
  • 20% cost savings on previous infrastructure and networking
  • 100+ sites migrated in just 45 days
  • Zero downtime, zero disruption
  • From 80% support / 20% strategy → to flipping the focus
  • Always-on visibility and security across the network
  • IoT security and digital experience monitoring now baked in
  • By shifting away from outdated technology and embracing a cloud-first strategy powered by Vizst and Cato, Crew has transformed its IT into a strategic enabler. No more firefighting. No more blind spots. Just fast, secure, scalable infrastructure that grows with the business.
  • “Cato gives us everything we need, right at our fingertips. The tools are easy to use, the visibility is unmatched, and the speed of delivery was incredible,” Richard Surman, IT Director explained.
  • “Now, I can focus on driving innovation, not fixing issues. It’s one less worry – IT just works.”, he continued.


Key Benefits

• 100% cloud migration – all infrastructure and applications moved out of traditional data centres

• ERP overhaul – provided the foundation to replace outdated Dynamics platform with best-of-breed SaaS solutions

• Full network refresh – transitioned from MPLS to a modern, fibre-powered backbone

• SASE deployment with Cato Networks – providing secure, high-performance access across all locations

• End-to-end visibility – real-time insight into application usage, performance, and security across the business

• Built-in resilience – seamless integration with multiple telecom providers ensures store connectivity without the usual provisioning headaches

Vizst Reaction

“Vizst’s dynamic, hands-on approach helped Crew move fast, with confidence. By understanding the business goals, not just the tech requirements, Vizst delivered a solution that was as cost-effective as it was transformative.”

– Ben Seymour, Strategic Account Director.