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| NYSE:CLD | |
| Company type | Discount department store |
| Founded | 1951 |
| Founders | Carl and Dorothy Bennett |
| Defunct | May 15, 1999 |
| Fate | Bankruptcy, liquidation |
| Headquarters | Norwalk, Connecticut, U.S. |
Number of locations | 145 (1998) |
Area served | Northeastern United States |
Number of employees | 22,000 (1998) |
| Parent | Independent (1951–1981, 1991–1999)
Silver Knight Group, Inc (2021–present)
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| Website | Caldor.com (archived) |
Caldor, Inc. was a discount department store chain founded in 1951 by husband and wife Carl and Dorothy Bennett. Referred to by many as "the Bloomingdale's of discounting,"[1] Caldor grew from a second story "Walk-Up-&-Save" operation in Port Chester, New York, into a regional retailing giant.[2] Its stores were earning over $1 billion (~$2.41 billion in 2023) in sales by the time Carl Bennett retired in 1985, by which time Caldor was a subsidiary of Associated Dry Goods.[3]
Despite its successes, Caldor suffered from financial issues by the 1990s. The company was liquidated and all 145 stores were closed by May 1999.