Caldor

[Whoser]

Pfizer sold the Caldor Plaza in Groton CT, over to EB. Once that happened, the plaza dropped security; So got to explore the old Caldor plaza, and it is frozen in time (except for the newly remodeled Shoprite); Very little change the inside walkway; A lot of the same things on the outside, including some nifty surprises in the back. Been to the plaza now about 7 times (In the last couple weeks) to grab pictures of it, and so has Nicholas of Caldor Rainbow. Pictures are on his flickr, and I'll be sure to upload all of mine.

Yesterday, I noticed a change; EB started construction on the inside; So doors were open; Began taking pictures of the outside until I was actually invited inside by one of the workers, just for a sneak peak. Made the mistake of taking pictures on the inside because I was then approached by construction management, asking what I was doing, and that its EB property and that I need to delete only the inside pictures, I can keep the outside. Let me tell you, the inside was a bit odd, just think of a Warehouse that contains elements of an aged Caldor!

[Whoser]

EB is a Electric Boat over in Groton, all confidential with them. Although, there wasn't very much going on inside except for just some construction! Oddly enough the manager was actually understanding when I explained to him.

Man, first time I got on to that plaza a few weeks back it was such a rush! Taking pictures of everything! (Including the Former Outparcel Bank); and just had to tell Nick of Caldor Rainbow about it!


(Is the Hartford Bradlees building still around?)

[ynkeesfn82]

(Is the Hartford Bradlees building still around?)

They redeveloped the property.

[ynkeesfn82]

I know I probably got my fair share of looks when I snapped pictures of the Manchester and Hartford Bradlees locations, the New Britain Shaw's and the now-demolished Chung Property in Plainville, one of the reasons I only snap pics on special locations, too risky.

They want to turn the old Shaw's in New Britain into some kind of storage facility.  >:( - A different type of storage facility than the one just down the street from the old Shaw's.

As for the Chung Property in Plainville I hear a Goodwill Store is going to be part of the new development.  :(

[Whoser]

(Is the Hartford Bradlees building still around?)

They redeveloped the property.

Ah!

[ynkeesfn82]

POPE COMMONS HARTFORD (former Bradlees):

http://f8properties.com/property/pope-commons-hartford-ct/

AN Article from 2011:

http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/20111207/NEWS01/312079994/moutas-hartford-pope-commons-expands----again

[Whoser]

Well, Looks like any vacant Bradlees are south of us now!;

Wondering if I should head out to the Caldor plaza again tonight, while construction is at a halt.

[Chuck E. Cheese]

Nick/The Caldor Rainbow recently posted images of the Vacant Caldor in Groton of Phzfr Global Research Property on Flickr. Never knew Stews in Newington was a Caldor and will never look at it the same way.

[Whoser]

Nick/The Caldor Rainbow recently posted images of the Vacant Caldor in Groton of Phzfr Global Research Property on Flickr.

Mhm! Glad he got down there too!

[TRJ_22487]

Vanna White at Norwalk, Connecticut Caldor in May 1987

[Zayre88]

Caldor Plaza in Wallingford

http://www.myrecordjournal.com/news/wallingford/wallingfordnews/9308398-154/throwbackthursday-caldor-plaza-in-wallingford.html#gallery-3

[steveb]

I was going through our spare room and I found a CD my Dad never used, still in the packaging. I was pretty excited to find it!

[giantsfan2016]

Is there a list somewhere of Caldor locations that are still vacant?

I know in Waterbury, CT the old Caldor is vacant except for a 25,000 Square Foot Planet Fitness. Bernie's relocated to this plaza and remains vacant since that chain's demise in 2010. There was also a Jump Zone next to Bernie's and they closed in 2013 and 2014.

In New Britain, CT Caldor became Walmart in 02 or 03 and they closed in 09. They're going to become a storage facility.

In Derby, CT Walmart in the former Caldor closed in 2016.

[danfifepsu]

Is there a list somewhere of Caldor locations that are still vacant?

I know in Waterbury, CT the old Caldor is vacant except for a 25,000 Square Foot Planet Fitness. Bernie's relocated to this plaza and remains vacant since that chain's demise in 2010. There was also a Jump Zone next to Bernie's and they closed in 2013 and 2014.

In New Britain, CT Caldor became Walmart in 02 or 03 and they closed in 09. They're going to become a storage facility.

In Derby, CT Walmart in the former Caldor closed in 2016.

ya wont find it! caldor closed so long ago the babies born then just graduated high school.

[BillyGr]

May also be that (in many places) there are no vacant stores left, having been such a long time that they've either been re-occupied or removed for other things.

That would be the case for any I can think of here in the (greater) Albany NY area - several demolished and replaced by other stores, a couple others re-occupied by another store (or stores).  Also for a couple I know of elsewhere (Poughkeepsie NY and one in Woodbridge NJ, both demolished and replaced by supermarkets).

There are probably a handful more vacant stores when it comes to Ames only due to some of their locations being in smaller towns (where nothing else is interested in going) and being a couple years later, but even those are getting to be a limited number.

[giantsfan2016]

May also be that (in many places) there are no vacant stores left, having been such a long time that they've either been re-occupied or removed for other things.

That would be the case for any I can think of here in the (greater) Albany NY area - several demolished and replaced by other stores, a couple others re-occupied by another store (or stores).  Also for a couple I know of elsewhere (Poughkeepsie NY and one in Woodbridge NJ, both demolished and replaced by supermarkets).

There are probably a handful more vacant stores when it comes to Ames only due to some of their locations being in smaller towns (where nothing else is interested in going) and being a couple years later, but even those are getting to be a limited number.

Do you think locations I mentioned such as New Britain, Derby, and Waterbury count as being vacant Caldor locations since the Walmart's that were located in New Britain and Derby and the Bernie's/Jump Zone in Waterbury have since closed?

18 years this year for Caldor.
17 years this year for Bradlees.
15 years this year for Ames.

It's crazy it's been so long. Being a guy in his 30s I remember these closings well. Caldor and Bradlees were both in my hometown growing up. Ames was in the town where I live now. They close the year before. I wanted Bradlees to be my first job. I applied there 2 weeks before I turned 16 and never heard from them, so when they closed you bet I did a happy dance. I applied at Bradlees even though I preferred Caldor because Bradlees was closer and I didn't have a license. That way my parents wouldn't have to travel as far.

[Caldor1999]

May also be that (in many places) there are no vacant stores left, having been such a long time that they've either been re-occupied or removed for other things.

That would be the case for any I can think of here in the (greater) Albany NY area - several demolished and replaced by other stores, a couple others re-occupied by another store (or stores).  Also for a couple I know of elsewhere (Poughkeepsie NY and one in Woodbridge NJ, both demolished and replaced by supermarkets).

There are probably a handful more vacant stores when it comes to Ames only due to some of their locations being in smaller towns (where nothing else is interested in going) and being a couple years later, but even those are getting to be a limited number.

Do you think locations I mentioned such as New Britain, Derby, and Waterbury count as being vacant Caldor locations since the Walmart's that were located in New Britain and Derby and the Bernie's/Jump Zone in Waterbury have since closed?

18 years this year for Caldor.
17 years this year for Bradlees.
15 years this year for Ames.

It's crazy it's been so long. Being a guy in his 30s I remember these closings well. Caldor and Bradlees were both in my hometown growing up. Ames was in the town where I live now. They close the year before. I wanted Bradlees to be my first job. I applied there 2 weeks before I turned 16 and never heard from them, so when they closed you bet I did a happy dance. I applied at Bradlees even though I preferred Caldor because Bradlees was closer and I didn't have a license. That way my parents wouldn't have to travel as far.

The last 2 were in Middletown NY not too sure if there is any of it still left and there was one in Queens that became an asian mall. Closest you will get to seeing a closed one if the 3 Kmarts near me closed. All of them were former caldors and still retain most of the look to this day. Mainly the Mahopac NY one Witch reopended in 1996 and became a big kmart  in late 1999 or early 2000

[BillyGr]

Seems some of them locally had a small snack bar, and at least one later on had a Nathan's franchise in it, but I don't think they were as standard as some chains were.

[Retail Regents]

Gates, NY, currently Global Self Storage.

[Retail_247]

Does anybody have a picture of the Caldor store in Warwick Rhode Island? I can't find a picture anywhere

I think the store had 2 floors

[buzz86us]

the one in Crossgates Mall did

[BillyGr]

the one in Crossgates Mall did

Yep - somewhere in the 52 pages of this I have a photo of that one (taken unintentionally when photographing the setup of a rock climbing wall in the area in front of it).

Anyhow - below are just a couple tags I took off of old-style light sets that are being disposed of.

[Wild_Rose]

Nothing much to add here. My nearest Caldor, and the only one I ever went to, was located at the Swansea Mall in Swansea, MA. It became a Wal-Mart and when the Wal-Mart moved out and had a stand-alone location built behind the mall, the former Caldor portion was demolished some time around 2014, I believe. The mall itself closed in the spring of 2019.

The only thing I have left of a Caldor is an animatronic angel Christmas tree topper that belongs to my parents and still works today. They still have the original box with the price tag that I think has it priced at $39.99.  I'm not sure exactly when the purchase was made but I'm guessing some time between 1986-89 No sooner or later than that. So, its nice to still have a little piece of Caldor history and an old piece of technology that still works as well today as it did when it was new.

[Retail_247]

I found this newspaper proving that caldor had an auto center at one point:

Here's the newspaper:

https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/80135837/

[BillyGr]

I found this newspaper proving that caldor had an auto center

Here's the newspaper:
https://www.newspapers.com/image/?clipping_id=19587402&fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjgwMTM1ODM3LCJpYXQiOjE1ODc5MjgzNDcsImV4cCI6MTU4ODAxNDc0N30.BTqQ_pYLe8z0DMsLA-NCMbuIc9-WhRxV8w_Zux_8tqs

Interesting.  If you do Google mapping for 400 Old Neighborhood Road, Kingston, NY 12401 you can see the plaza.  The Caldor was the building straight back from the road (shown as Burlington when the map was done).  The Staples/JoAnn I have heard was a Waldbaum's store (pre A&P ownership).  I think the building to the left is small shops, but there was for many years a Midas in the front (now a grassy/overgrown area, just behind the Bank of America), so that may have been where it was as a freestanding building, or perhaps it was attached in one of the spots that is now storefront (Dollar Tree on one end or the red awning to the left of Burlington)?

I only remember seeing it later on, so wherever it was they had gotten out of that in their later years (90's).

Also to wonder if it was from the store being something else (though this was quite far back, so maybe not), like our Ames in Hudson had an auto area that may have been from it's time as Barkers (the Kings in between didn't use it, and Ames eventually leased it to a local person to run - now it's a Planet Fitness) as I don't know that there was anything prior to that chain in there.

[Retail_247]

I found this newspaper proving that caldor had an auto center

Here's the newspaper:
https://www.newspapers.com/image/?clipping_id=19587402&fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjgwMTM1ODM3LCJpYXQiOjE1ODc5MjgzNDcsImV4cCI6MTU4ODAxNDc0N30.BTqQ_pYLe8z0DMsLA-NCMbuIc9-WhRxV8w_Zux_8tqs

Interesting.  If you do Google mapping for 400 Old Neighborhood Road, Kingston, NY 12401 you can see the plaza.  The Caldor was the building straight back from the road (shown as Burlington when the map was done).  The Staples/JoAnn I have heard was a Waldbaum's store (pre A&P ownership).  I think the building to the left is small shops, but there was for many years a Midas in the front (now a grassy/overgrown area, just behind the Bank of America), so that may have been where it was as a freestanding building, or perhaps it was attached in one of the spots that is now storefront (Dollar Tree on one end or the red awning to the left of Burlington)?

I only remember seeing it later on, so wherever it was they had gotten out of that in their later years (90's).

Also to wonder if it was from the store being something else (though this was quite far back, so maybe not), like our Ames in Hudson had an auto area that may have been from it's time as Barkers (the Kings in between didn't use it, and Ames eventually leased it to a local person to run - now it's a Planet Fitness) as I don't know that there was anything prior to that chain in there.

Cool I didn't know barkers had auto centers

[Retail_247]

Here's a Caldor going out of business commercial:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVKgyVen6tI

[Everything Community]

Carl Bennett, Caldor stores founder, philanthropist and 'self-made success story,' dies in Greenwich at 101

https://www.greenwichtime.com/news/article/Carl-Bennett-Caldor-stores-founder-16736972.php

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

Caldor is referenced in James Rolfe's "Cinemassacre Video" YouTube videos as being located at the Voorhees Memorial Shopping Center. The Caldor in the video looks like a former Child World store...

[Retail Regents]

Looks like the Kingston Caldor has a new tenant after Burlington Coat Factory left.

https://www.dailyfreeman.com/2022/02/26/big-lots-headed-to-town-of-ulster-store-will-go-space-formerly-occupied-by-burlington/