Columbia House Is Finally Shutting Down
Maybe it's news to you that Columbia House was still operational in 2026. It was news to me, but that news is immediately invalidated by newer news: After 71 years, the longstanding mail-order media club is shutting down next month, as the YouTube channel Channel 33 RPM and website Cord Cutters News point out. The post Columbia House Is Finally Shutting Down appeared first on Stereogum .
In 2026, the long-standing mail-order media club, Columbia House, announced its closure after 71 years of operation. Starting as the Columbia Record Club in 1955, the company grew to become a major player in the music retail market by 1963, representing 10% of the industry. Columbia House differentiated itself by licensing titles from various labels and offering a larger catalog than competitors.
At its peak in 1996, the company boasted 16 million members, and its website went live that same year. In 1991, Sony sold half of Columbia House to Time Warner, which later merged the service with Time Life's clubs. Columbia House faced declining market share due to online and big-box retailers, and in 2005, it was sold to BMG. The company went through several rebrandings and sales before finally shutting down music sales in 2008 and remaining as a DVD and Blu-ray Disc club.
The Canadian branch declared bankruptcy in 2010, and the American branch followed in 2015. Despite its initial allure of affordable CDs, Columbia House was criticized for its negative option billing practices and dubious business tactics.
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