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.

His father owned a small grocery store in Greenwich, CT, where quality of merchandise and customer appreciation were key.

[8] With business growing steadily, the original store was replaced in 1953 with an expanded location in Port Chester, NY that also provided more modern amenities.

[9] Ever resourceful, Caldor continued to serve the Norwalk community by operating out of three temporary stores close to the damaged outlet, which was quickly being rebuilt.

[14] Caldor was the subject of a lawsuit filed by former employee Donald Thornton, who claimed he was fired by the company for refusing to work on Sunday, which was his Sabbath day.

Thornton contended that by forcing him to work one Sunday a month, Caldor was violating a Connecticut state law that permitted him to observe his Sabbath without opposition from his employer.

Attracted to its growth potential and low debt, the 63-store Caldor chain was ADG's first entry into the realm of discount retailing.

After his three-year contract with Associated Dry Goods expired, Bennett looked forward to retirement and spending time relaxing, playing tennis, reading a few new books, and vacationing.

[16] In 1989, May Department Stores (which was Associated Dry Goods' successor upon merging with May in 1986) announced it would sell Caldor to a group that included Odyssey Partners and Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette.

Caldor released a statement expressing its mystification over how the image was created and got past proofreaders, and issued an apology about the oversight.

Thirteen days later, on January 22, Caldor's chairman announced the company had no alternative but to wind down business and lay off all of their staff at the corporate headquarters in Connecticut.

New stores were located within at most a day's travel from Caldor's corporate headquarters and its distribution center, allowing for closely controlled costs and minimized inventory expenses.

This allowed single advertising and promotional campaigns to cover multiple stores and simplified executive supervision and transfer of employees.

[2] They featured wide aisles, bright lighting, and large, colorful display treatment,[27] and were typically remodeled every six years.

At the awards banquet in Chicago, Bennett credited the corporation's employees as “our secret ingredient" for making Caldor “the finest retail chain in the country".

[31] In 1983, Bennett was elected into the "Discounting Hall of Fame" by the same industry poll, making him the sixth retail executive to receive the honor.

Iris Rosenberg, editor of Discount Store News, said: "Carl Bennett typifies the successful entrepreneur who from an inconspicuous start made a dream grow into a major force in the world of mass merchandising".

The relaunch is designed to honor the legacy of the original Caldor while appealing to both loyal past customers and a new generation of online shoppers.