A long-standing mail-order club that famously enticed new members with a deal of 12 CDs for a penny has declared its shutdown after operating for 71 years. Columbia House, which halted its music sales and Canadian operations in 2010, unexpectedly removed the closure announcement from its website on Tuesday.
Initial reports of the closure caught the attention of music enthusiasts over the weekend. The notice stated that as of 9/15/26, The Columbia House would cease accepting new orders.
Established in 1955 by Columbia Records as the Columbia Record Club, the company aimed to boost music sales in areas lacking access to traditional record stores. Over the years, the mail-order business expanded, incorporating new technologies such as cassettes, CDs, and later, DVDs of movies and TV shows.
The club’s innovative marketing strategy, which offered multiple records, tapes, or CDs for a mere penny through magazine and newspaper inserts, proved highly successful. By 1994, Columbia House had shipped over a billion records and accounted for 15% of all CD sales, as reported by a 2011 article from the Boston Phoenix.
However, with the rise of online music platforms, the company’s revenue declined. In 2010, under the ownership of Direct Brands, Columbia House ceased its music sales, transitioning solely to DVD offerings and closing its operations in Canada.
If the recent news seems familiar, it’s because Columbia House’s parent company, then known as Filmed Entertainment Inc., had filed for bankruptcy in the U.S. back in 2015. Despite struggling, the company continued to operate, primarily focusing on DVD sales until now.
In 2015, Columbia House disclosed that its revenue peaked at around $1.4 billion US in 1996. The announcement of the closure comes amidst a resurgence in physical media consumption, with a growing demand for vinyl records and an increase in sales at record stores in recent years.
While many had bid farewell to Columbia House’s nostalgic music collection model during the 2015 bankruptcy, the latest news has sparked a wave of social media tributes to the company that played a significant role in building many music libraries. Users have taken to social platforms to reminisce about their past experiences with Columbia House and even joke about outstanding fees.
Despite the disappearance of the closure notice from its website, Columbia House has not responded to inquiries from CBC News regarding its future plans.