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."After 9/15/26, The Columbia House will no longer be accepting new orders," reads a note posted to the Columbia House website. "You can still purchase books with your credit card or credits as normal."Columbia House got its start in 1955 as the Columbia Record Club, a direct-mail marketing program by CBS/Columbia Records. New members were promised a free record for joining, and customers could bypass a trip to the record store by ordering albums to be shipped to them at home. It was such a wildly popular venture that by 1963, it represented 10% of the music retail market.As the club spawned imitators, Columbia set itself apart by licensing titles from other labels, giving members a larger catalog to choose from. In the early 1970s, the name of the club was changed to Columbia House. It remained a powerhouse throughout the late 20th century, peaking at 16 million members in 199...