Columbia House, a long-standing mail-order club famous for offering new members a dozen CDs for a penny, has declared its closure after 71 years. While the company had halted music sales and operations in Canada back in 2010, it recently removed the closure announcement from its website. The news of the shutdown was first observed by music enthusiasts over the weekend, revealing that new orders would not be accepted after September 15, 2026.
Established by Columbia Records in 1955 as the Columbia Record Club, the company aimed to boost music sales in areas without access to physical record stores. Over time, the mail-order business expanded its offerings to include cassettes, CDs, and later, DVDs of movies and TV shows. Initially, customers were enticed by promotions in magazines and newspapers, promising multiple music items in exchange for a single penny and a commitment to buying a set number of releases monthly.
Despite its initial success, the rise of online music platforms led to a decline in revenue. In 2010, under the ownership of Direct Brands, Columbia House ceased music sales and shifted its focus solely to DVDs, ultimately closing its operations in Canada. The parent company, Filmed Entertainment Inc., had previously filed for bankruptcy in the U.S. in 2015, but Columbia House had managed to stay afloat primarily through DVD sales until now.
In 2015, the company disclosed that its revenue had peaked at around $1.4 billion US in 1996. The news of Columbia House’s closure comes at a time when there is a growing interest in physical media, with vinyl sales seeing a resurgence. This renewed enthusiasm for traditional media formats has been highlighted by the success of record stores and the demand for vinyl records.
While many had bid farewell to Columbia House’s nostalgic music collection model during the 2015 bankruptcy proceedings, the recent closure announcement has sparked a wave of tributes on social media. Music enthusiasts are reminiscing about the company’s role in expanding their music collections, with some even joking about outstanding fees owed to Columbia House. Despite the disappearance of the closure notice from its website, Columbia House has yet to respond to inquiries from CBC News.