Mail-Order Media Giant Columbia House Shutting Down After 71 Years

It's truyly the extremity of an epoch for lovers of carnal media. After 71 years successful operation, the legendary message bid concern Columbia House is going retired of concern connected September 15, 2026.

A connection announcing the closure appeared and was past removed from their authoritative site, but CNN has since confirmed with institution reps that the concern is so ceasing operations adjacent month.

Columbia House began arsenic a grounds nine successful 1955. “As exertion changed, it pivoted from vinyl to reel-to-reel, 8-tracks to cassette tapes and, finally, CDs and DVDs. At its highest successful the 1990s, it had millions of members. It was pulling successful $1.4 cardinal successful revenue,” NPR reports.

As advertised successful people ads and TV commercials, consumers could articulation Columbia House astatine an initially absurd debased terms – successful 1985, you could get immoderate 11 records oregon tapes for a penny – to go a monthly nine subordinate wherever you could past bargain further euphony astatine the regular price. (As presently advertised connected their site, consumers could commencement their rank by getting their archetypal 2 DVDs for $9.95 each.)

Alas, the emergence of integer euphony services similar iTunes paved the mode for the company’s long, dilatory decline.

Columbia House’s genitor institution filed for bankruptcy successful 2015 earlier the marque was acquired by Edge Line Ventures.

In the end, though, Columbia House managed to outlast the penny and galore of the people media outlets they advertised in.