Along with Ogilvy's, Freimans and Murphy-Gamble, Caplan's was one of the local department stores that dominated Ottawa retailing for much of the twentieth century.
In 1967, Caplan's acquired Shaffer's Limited, a neighbouring clothing store on Rideau Street, and another longtime Ottawa retailer.
After the closure of the store, 1960s-era building extensions and design features were removed to reveal turn-of-the-century commercial façades that had been largely preserved.
The city resisted subsequent efforts by the landowner to demolish the old Caplan's store façade, although neglect eventually lead to the fire marshall ordering its demolition in November 2003.
The former Caplan's warehouse, built in 1920 on King Edward Street, was transformed in 1969 into an off-site theatre studio of the National Arts Centre.