Columbia House, a mail-order club known for its iconic offer of 12 CDs for a penny to new members, has declared its closure after 71 years in operation. The announcement, initially spotted by music enthusiasts over the weekend, stated that Columbia House would cease accepting new orders after September 15, 2026. The company, which began as Columbia Record Club in 1955 under Columbia Records, aimed to broaden music sales to areas without easy access to physical record stores.
The mail-order business, which expanded to include cassettes, CDs, and later DVDs of movies and TV shows, attracted early customers through enticing magazine and newspaper inserts promising multiple music items for a mere penny. Columbia House’s model flourished, with the company shipping over a billion records and commanding a significant portion of CD sales by 1994.
However, as online music options proliferated, Columbia House experienced a decline in revenue. In 2010, under the ownership of Direct Brands, the company discontinued music sales and shifted its focus solely to DVD mail-order operations, halting its Canadian activities as well.
Columbia House’s parent company, Filmed Entertainment Inc., had previously filed for bankruptcy in the U.S. in 2015, but managed to sustain itself through DVD sales until now. The company reported that its revenue peaked at around $1.4 billion US in 1996.
The decision to close Columbia House comes at a time when there is renewed interest in physical media. Recent data from Music Canada indicates a surge in vinyl sales in 2025, with record stores also witnessing increased business. Despite bidding farewell to Columbia House’s nostalgic music collection model during the 2015 bankruptcy proceedings, music enthusiasts are now reminiscing about the company’s legacy on social media and even joking about long-standing unpaid fees.
CBC News attempted to contact Columbia House for further details about its future plans after the closure announcement mysteriously vanished from its website, but no response has been received as of yet.