Columbia House to shut down after 71 years of operation

Columbia House, the long-running mail-order media subscription service, has announced it will cease accepting new orders after September 15, 2026. The company is currently winding down its remaining operations, which primarily involve a catalog of DVDs and Blu-rays.

Founded in 1955 as the Columbia Record Club by Columbia Records, the company became a cultural icon through its aggressive marketing and promotional offers, such as providing albums for a single penny in exchange for a commitment to purchase subsequent titles at full price. At its peak in the mid-1990s, the service boasted approximately 16 million members and accounted for a significant portion of CD sales in the United States.

The company struggled to adapt to the digital revolution, facing challenges from file-sharing services and the rise of digital downloads. Following a series of ownership changes and a bankruptcy filing in 2015, the business pivoted from music to movies. Existing memberships and outstanding purchases are expected to be honored during the final wind-down period.