Columbia House, a mail-order club famous for offering new members up to 12 CDs for a penny, has announced its closure after operating for 71 years. The company, which stopped music sales and Canadian operations in 2010, recently removed the closure announcement from its website.
Music enthusiasts discovered the closure notice over the weekend, stating that after 9/15/26, Columbia House would not accept new orders. Originally established as Columbia Record Club in 1955 by Columbia Records, the company aimed to boost music sales in areas without access to physical record stores. Over time, the business expanded to include cassettes, CDs, and later DVDs of movies and TV shows.
The club’s innovative marketing strategy, offering multiple records, tapes, or CDs for a penny through magazine and newspaper inserts, attracted a large customer base. By 1994, Columbia House had shipped over a billion records and contributed to 15% of CD sales. However, with the rise of online music options, the company’s revenue declined, leading to the cessation of music sales in 2010 and the focus shifting solely to DVD sales.
In 2015, the parent company of Columbia House filed for bankruptcy in the U.S., but continued operating predominantly through DVD sales. The company reported its peak revenue at around $1.4 billion US in 1996. The closure news comes amidst a resurgence in physical media popularity, with vinyl sales experiencing significant growth in recent years.
While many had bid farewell to Columbia House’s nostalgic music collection model during the 2015 bankruptcy, the recent closure announcement has sparked a wave of nostalgia among music enthusiasts on social media, reminiscing about their past experiences with the club. Despite the disappearance of the closure notice from its website, Columbia House is yet to respond to CBC News’ inquiries.
