What happened to Caldor? What even is a Caldor?

As I continued to research into what happened to companies I vaguely remember from my childhood, I thought of an old department store my mom used to take us to called Caldor. Since this one is a little less famous than TWA, I’ll start with a brief history of Caldor, talk about its decline and cover what led to its bankruptcy.

Established in 1951, Caldor was a combination of the names of its two founders, Carl and Dorothy Bennett. Caldor focused on a few differentiating factors, including specializing in name-brand goods, and in its early days positioned itself a more of a way of life brand with its long-standing slogan, “Where Shopping is Always a Pleasure.” Read more >