A popular mail-order club that once enticed new members with offers of up to 12 CDs for a penny has declared its closure after 71 years in operation. Columbia House, which ceased music sales and Canadian operations in 2010, unexpectedly removed the closure announcement from its website earlier this week.
The news of the club’s impending closure was first noticed by music enthusiasts over the weekend. The announcement stated that after September 15, 2026, Columbia House would no longer accept new orders. Originally established by Columbia Records in 1955 as the Columbia Record Club, the company aimed to broaden music sales to areas without access to traditional record stores. Over the years, the business expanded to include new technologies such as cassettes, CDs, and eventually DVDs of movies and TV shows.
The club’s early success can be attributed to its marketing strategy of offering multiple records, tapes, or CDs for just a penny through magazine and newspaper inserts. By 1994, Columbia House had shipped over a billion records and represented 15% of all CD sales. However, with the rise of online music options, the company’s revenue declined. In 2010, under new ownership by Direct Brands, Columbia House discontinued music sales and shifted its focus solely to DVD sales, leading to the closure of its Canadian operations.
In a similar turn of events, the parent company of Columbia House, Filmed Entertainment Inc., filed for bankruptcy protection in the U.S. in 2015, but continued to operate on DVD sales until now. The company disclosed in 2015 that its revenue had peaked at around $1.4 billion US in 1996.
This news comes at a time when physical media is experiencing a resurgence in popularity. Recent data shows a significant increase in vinyl sales, with record stores reporting a rise in business in 2025. Despite bidding farewell to Columbia House’s iconic music collection model during the 2015 bankruptcy, music enthusiasts are now taking to social media to reminisce about the company’s role in building their music collections and sharing lighthearted anecdotes about unpaid fees.
Although the closure announcement vanished from Columbia House’s website, CBC News attempted to contact the company for further information but has not yet received a response.